TENSION is building between Port Adelaide and Fremantle ahead of their Round 1 clash after an angry Power coach Ken Hinkley had stern words with what is believed to have been a Dockers spy.

Yesterday morning Hinkley effectively evicted the onlooker from Port Adelaide’s training session as it was winding up.

Both Hinkley and coaching director Shaun Hart approached the man, who denied he was associated with Fremantle.

But the senior staff at the Power were confident the man, who was suspected of recording the session, was a spy and had been at the club on two previous occasions.

Hinkley walked away angry from the discussion with the man, who had positioned himself in the forward pocket at the right hand side of the Allan Scott headquarters.

Hinkley questioned the integrity of his answers after a heated conversation.

He spoke tersely about the incident while walking past staff members near the entrance of the training facility.

Hinkley was fuming and swearing after a debate that left both him and the supposed Fremantle spy storm off from their unscheduled appointment. Hart seemed more pragmatic, allowing himself to crack a wry smile to inquiring staff members.

Spying in football is not a new thing, but there’s history of tension between Port Adelaide and Fremantle.

``I know that Freo are taking a really keen interest in our program because we kicked one of their club people out the other day,” Hinkley said at Port’s annual general meeting last month.

``He wasn’t from here and our investigator over here (Garry Hocking) got his numberplate and checked him out and finds out where he’s from.’’

The man who was understood to be a Fremantle scout left in the opposite direction to the Power coach after his conversation with Hinkley.

There are two etiquette issues at play in the episode: the suggestion that an opposition coach is recording what another is doing at training, and the suggestion that he failed to properly identify himself.

It came as the senior players who will be rested for this weekend’s practice match against Richmond were worked over in a heavy session.

Among them were Travis Boak, Brad Ebert, Alipate Carlile, Justin Westhoff and Hamish Hartlett (who is recovering from a groin injury).

Power assistant coach Josh Carr had earlier spoken about the excitement within the club at welcoming back ruckman Jarrad Redden from injury and introducing rookie Johann Wagner in the game at Albury on the weekend.

Redden is expected to start in the centre square but be managed throughout the game.