PORT Adelaide enforcer Sam Powell-Pepper is set to be deployed as a forward this season while also being used in short bursts through the midfield.

The 22-year-old has played 57 of a possible 67 games in his three seasons with the Power after being selected with the 18th overall pick of the 2016 NAB AFL Draft.

However, he was dropped twice last year, played 19 senior games and was linked to Essendon during the Telstra AFL Trade Period.

While that switch never eventuated, Powell-Pepper – who is off-contract at the end of 2020 – will draw interest from rivals if he is squeezed out of the Power's best 22.

With the Power keen to give young guns Connor Rozee and Zak Butters more midfield time, along with increasing the roles of Dan Houston and Karl Amon, Powell-Pepper could find himself playing closer to goal.

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"We'd like to think we can get him spending some more time forward," Power senior assistant coach Michael Voss said.

"Not just be a pressure forward, but he got lots of looks on goals last year.

"He didn't convert as well, but anyone that's getting that amount of shots on goal deserves a look at that part of the ground.

"He might be able to bring us something a little bit different."

Powell-Pepper had 28 scoring shots for the Power last year, behind only Rozee (51), Robbie Gray (38) and Sam Gray (37), who has joined Sydney.

However, Powell-Pepper was wasteful in front of goal, converting at 35.7 per cent (10.18) – the least accurate Power player with at least five scoring shots.

Voss said it was Powell-Pepper's willingness to hunt the opposition that made him a dangerous forward.

"The ones you value really highly in the game today are the ones who are able to still find the footy inside the 50 when's there's numbers against you," Voss said.

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"He has a really big workrate and an appetite to do the right thing by the team.

"He's genuinely powerful, and what we're trying to work out is where we best spend that power.

"If he can come in and pinch-hit through midfield and really scare some people, we'd be pretty happy with that."

Voss believes Powell-Pepper has found a balance in how he prepares entering his fourth season.

"He's previously been quite gun-ho, he's all one speed and away he goes," Voss said.

"He's either had the on-switch or the off-switch.

"He's now got a good medium."