PORT Adelaide star Jason Horne-Francis will spend more time as a forward early in the season as he continues his return from foot surgery, with coach Josh Carr keen for the midfield jet to gain confidence before he is fully unleashed.  

Horne-Francis played almost exclusively in attack during a powerful 73-point win against West Coast on Sunday, attending just four centre bounces and kicking two goals as Port rounded out the AAMI Community Series in style. 

The 22-year-old had a scare during last week's match simulation against Adelaide and Carr said it would be a "journey" through the early period of the season for him to gain confidence in his foot. 

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"He was obviously a bit worried the week before and had a feeling in his foot, so we were obviously precautionary with what that looked like," Carr said after the Power produced a high-octane pressure performance in Perth.  

"The scan gave him some confidence to know what he's dealing with, so for him it's just about being out there and playing footy.

"It's not going to be perfect early in the year, and he's probably going to play some more forward time than midfield time. We're just going to make sure we look after him."

The shift of Horne-Francis to the forward line more permanently, and the absence of Miles Bergman with a toe injury, saw Connor Rozee resume as a full-time midfielder against the Eagles. 

The captain was outstanding with 33 disposals and a game-high 667m gained, with Carr open to using the dual All-Australian in multiple roles after his shift to half-back last season. 

"It depends on what the team needs, and with Bergman out and Horne-Francis forward more, the team needs him around the footy," Carr said.  

"Bergman comes back for round one, so I'd like to say it's a luxury to have to be able to use him both back and midfield. 

"There'll be times where it depends on the opposition and what we need as a team." 

Carr was pleased with the performance of young tall Jack Whitlock, who capped a strong summer with two goals against the Eagles, while mature-age rookie Jack Watkins is pushing for round one selection. 

The first-year coach said the pressure his team played with set a standard, with the Power's express ball-movement also providing an indication of how the team will play under the former Fremantle assistant. 

West Coast coach Andrew McQualter said the scoreboard was disappointing after his team conceded 11 goals in the third quarter but cautioned that pre-season performances don't always translate to the regular season. 

He highlighted the Eagles' ability to win the inside 50s (50-48) and time in forward half, but said the inability to handle Port's pressure was a lesson out of the game. 

"I've seen teams win a premiership and get smashed in their two pre-season games, and I've seen a team have a one-win season and win both their pre-season games, so certainly not going to ride the rollercoaster too much," McQualter said. 

"Their pressure around the ball was red hot, and we didn't handle that well enough."

McQualter said defenders Reuben Ginbey (toe) and Brandon Starcevich (calf) would be pushing for selection against Gold Coast on March 15, with Harry Edwards entering concussion protocols after a head knock but potentially available if he can clear the required hurdles. 

Midfielder Elijah Hewett could also push his case after playing a WAFL practice match on Saturday alongside second-year defender/wingman Bo Allan and backman Brady Hough, who is returning from an ankle injury. 

"Elijah just hadn't really had any match sim minutes at all and he missed a chunk of training, so we just thought it would be appropriate for him to play in that game yesterday," McQualter said.  

"And Bo's in a great competition for spots. He's had a strong pre-season. He didn't play many games last year, so he's had a good block of continuity. 

"He played well yesterday at WAFL level, and he's put himself in contention for a spot early in the year. 

"We're going to have a few that are going to be really close, and we're going to have to make some decisions around how many of those guys that haven't had huge minutes come in and play round one."