WHAT to do about Charlie?

Port Adelaide's marquee forward, Charlie Dixon, enters the premiership campaign having kicked just one goal in his three games during the JLT Community Series.

It's hardly the blinding form Power fans expect of their $3.5 million recruit, who moved to Alberton on a five-year deal worth a reported $700,000 per season at the end of 2015.

While he was ineffectual on the scoreboard, registering just a solitary behind in the Power's 28-point win against Hawthorn at Hickinbotham Oval on Sunday, Dixon at least found other ways to contribute.

He had 13 possessions, five tackles and four marks on a day when the blustery conditions and intermittent showers weren't ideal for key forwards.

Watch Ken Hinkley's media conference

Then again, he still was guilty of basic errors – dropping a mark when his defender had slipped over and missing a goal from 25m out on a slight angle.

Dixon's pre-season hasn't been ideal.

He underwent foot surgery in November last year and had about two weeks of full training before the Power's first game in the JLT Series.

In stark contrast, mature-aged recruit Brett Eddy has made every post a winner since being thrown an AFL lifeline as a 27-year-old in the 2016 NAB AFL Rookie Draft.

Eddy booted five goals against the Hawks on the same ground where he destroyed SANFL teams for South Adelaide to all but punch his ticket for round one.

The message Power coach Ken Hinkley had for Dixon was simple.

"Keep working, keep building your game and keep working at it," Hinkley said.

"Because I think we lose sight of the fact Brett got reward from other people.

"Brett's footy smarts make it really hard for him to defend, but if Charlie's not there, how does that make Brett's game look, too.

"It's the sum of the whole, not the one, that makes a difference."

Eddy and midfield bull Sam Powell-Pepper look set to make their AFL debuts against Sydney in the SCG on March 25.

Power star Robbie Gray was a late scratching and has played only one pre-season game, but Hinkley said it wasn't serious.

"He's fine, it was nothing," Hinkley said.

"He was sore yesterday, really just nothing at all, but there was just no point.

"We don't need to make a player of his quality any sorer at this time of the year."

Forward/midfielder Chad Wingard (thigh) and defender Matthew Broadbent (hamstring) will come back into the side for round one.

Forward Angus Monfries – who didn't play last year as part of the Essendon doping saga – made his return from a shoulder injury in a SANFL trial on Saturday, while speedster Matthew White played his first game for the Power this year after overcoming a calf complaint.

"We think we've lost some smarts in the front half and White and (Monfries) bring an enormous amount of experience," Hinkley said.

"(Monfries) is probably a little bit still off.

"We've got to assess a couple of blokes with where they are at with conditioning."