PORT Adelaide dynamo Connor Rozee will have surgery on a mysterious foot injury that is puzzling medicos.

Rozee will miss the start of the AFL premiership season and have an operation this week, despite his eye-catching display in the AAMI Community Series game on Sunday.

He kicked two goals and collected 16 disposals in Port's 71-point thumping of Adelaide.

The 21-year-old recently consulted a foot specialist in Sydney and hopes surgery will correct an issue with a joint in his right foot.

"I've seen a couple of specialists and there seems to be a little bit of something that shouldn't be in my foot," Rozee told Fox Sports.

"They're still not sure what it is ... hopefully that (time out after surgery) will only be three or four weeks maximum."

Port coach Ken Hinkley said Rozee's timeframe for recovery was unknown.

"He has got a somewhat minor foot issue but an unusual one ... no one has has actually seen the type of injury he has got (before)," Hinkley said.

"It seems to be that it (surgery) will be reasonably simple but we don't know that until we have it done."

Rozee also featured in a trial game against the Crows last weekend with Port adamant the exciting forward was at no risk of exacerbating his injury by playing.

"That is why we have played him over the last couple of weeks, to get a feel on what was actually going to happen," Hinkley said.

"The easy thing was 'oh no, push him in and get it done and have it right for round one'.

"For us, it was more around making sure we're doing the right thing because it is an unusual injury that no one, not even the surgery in Sydney has seen it before."

Rozee's foot issue was separate to a plantar fascia injury which restricted him to 16 games last season.

Meanwhile, Adelaide has rewarded Nick Murray for some solid pre-season form by signing the key defender as a rookie as part of the Pre-Season Supplemental Selection Period. 

Murray plied his trade with the GWS Giants in the NEAFL in 2019 and was set to play with Williamstown in the VFL in 2020, before COVID hit and the 20-year-old returned to country NSW to play in the Riverina Football League.

The 193cm tall now gets a chance at AFL level after being overlooked in the two most recent drafts.

"We're delighted to have Nick at the club and now officially on the list," Adelaide's general manager list management and strategy, Justin Reid, said.

"He has been on our radar for some time and in January we had the opportunity to bring him to the club and see him on a daily basis while training with the rest of the squad and he hasn't put a foot wrong.

"Nick is a versatile player and has been training as a key defender and that's the role we see him developing into."

Murray picked up eight disposals and five marks for the Crows against Port Adelaide on Sunday afternoon.