Port Adelaide to unveil key recruit Tom Rockliff in trial but Steven Motlop and Jack Watts to miss

PORT Adelaide will unveil just one of its three key recruits in its first serious hitout of the year at Alberton Oval on Saturday.

Gun recruit Tom Rockliff, right, will play in Port Adelaide's internal trial at Alberton Oval on Saturday but Robbie Gray will miss. Picture: Ben Macmahon (AAP).

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PORT Adelaide will unveil just one of its three boom recruits in its first serious hitout of the year at Alberton Oval on Saturday.

Former Lion Tom Rockliff will take centre stage in the club’s internal trial with fellow key off-season pick-ups Steven Motlop and Jack Watts to miss the 5pm encounter.

Ex-Cat Motlop has a slight hamstring strain while former Demon Watts has been given the weekend off to attend a wedding.

Key forward Watts, who has enjoyed a strong pre-season, is expected to don Port colours in a competitive match for the first time in next week’s AFLX tournament at Hindmarsh Stadium.

Motlop and Watts will be among a host of first-choice players who aren’t expected to take part in the trial.

Star playmaker Chad Wingard (hamstring), triple club champion Robbie Gray (wedding), wingman Jared Polec (hamstring), defender Matthew Broadbent (ankle) and former Kangaroo Lindsay Thomas (hamstring/back) also will miss.

Only Broadbent is considered a long-term injury concern.

He could miss the first two months of the season after struggling to shake off an ankle injury that hindered his 2017 campaign and required off-season surgery.

“He’s got some troubles with his ankle and it’s going to take a bit of management,’’ coach Ken Hinkley said.

“We’ve got great faith in him that he’ll come back and play a significant part in the season, perhaps after the first month or two.”

Polec will miss up to three weeks but Wingard and Motlop could play in the Power’s opening JLT Community Series match against West Coast in WA on February 25.

Recruits Jack Trengove (from Melbourne), Trent McKenzie (Gold Coast) and Dom Barry (Glenelg via Melbourne) should play on Saturday as the on-field auditions heat up at Alberton.

Steven Motlop will miss Port Adelaide’s internal trial match. Picture: Sarah Reed

“Trengove has been on a slight management program but he’s back in full training now and we expect him to be out there,’’ senior assistant coach Matthew Nicks said.

Nicks said Port is keen to find some early-season cohesion with its best side and will likely pick a best-versus-the-rest squad to go head-to-head in the first half of the trial before making the teams more even in the second half.

“At this stage of the year you want to get some synergy with your best 22 but at the same time you want to simulate match-type conditions so we might play a half where we go reasonably strong with one of the sides and then make the teams more even to get a really good contest,’’ he said.

The AFL squad will be topped up with players from the Power’s SANFL team.