PORT Adelaide vice-captain Hamish Hartlett wants to build his match conditioning before being considered for an AFL game after having a setback in his return from a knee reconstruction.

The 28-year-old's right knee didn't recover well after a training session last week and he's had to scale back his training.

Hartlett hoped to play at some level next week, but conceded he wouldn't be ready for the Power's season-opener against Melbourne at the MCG on March 23.

"To be honest, I don't know I'd have the match fitness to get through a full game of AFL footy," Hartlett said.

"No matter how much pre-season you do and how many pre-season games you play, you always find, for me personally, I'm always cramping halfway through the third quarter in round one and two of the AFL season.

"So, to come back off playing no matches straight into an AFL team, I don't know if that would sit really comfortably with me.

"I'd like to get a couple of full games probably at Magpies (SANFL) level just to gain that match fitness then go into an AFL game from there.

"We'll wait and see how things roll out, but I'd say within the first few rounds of the season."

Hartlett played the first five games of last season before tearing the ACL in his right knee during training on April 26 last year.

The 28-year-old was initially on track to play in the Power's opening game of the JLT Community Series against Adelaide in Port Pirie on Saturday.

"I was really close, with these types of long-term injuries things can pop up from time to time and just had to be managed a little bit over the last week or two, but certainly the aim is to play either next week or if not round one," Hartlett said.

"As is the case a lot of the time with these long-term knee injuries, you get little things that bob up.

"It's more about management for my knee, more than anything.

"Probably hasn't recovered as well as I would've liked from the training session last week and that's just meant I've had to pull things back slightly and prepare for next week's game.

"It has happened, not frequently, but it does get a bit niggly and swollen from time to time."

The Power have plenty of options in defence, with the returning Matthew Broadbent and recruit Ryan Burton added to the mix.

Half-back flanker Dan Houston trained with the main group on Wednesday and is set to play in the pre-season game against the Crows.

Houston missed the Power's intraclub trial on February 15 and last Saturday's under-23 game against the Crows as the club managed his training loads.