PORT Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley wants to see recruit Jack Watts produce a "game out of the box" in the absence of spearhead Charlie Dixon with the Power's season on the line.

Saturday's crucial encounter with Collingwood at the MCG will be Watts' first visit to the home of football since leaving Melbourne after 153 games at the end of last season.

Watts, 27, has kicked 17 goals in his 17 games for the Power this year, and had a short stint in the SANFL.

"Jack's been pretty solid … he hasn't had a game out of the box," Hinkley said.

"I'd like that to be tomorrow, though.

"It'd be nice if he could deliver a big game for us.

"He's tried every week to do that.

"He's a finisher for us, we understand that, we just need to get the ball in his hands as much as we possibly can.

"He gets a slightly different opportunity than he's had in previous weeks."

Watts spent time as the deepest forward during match simulation at training at Alberton Oval on Friday, while also playing higher up the ground.

He's an option, along with Justin Westhoff, ruckman Paddy Ryder and 199cm defender Dougal Howard (who will have his hands full with Magpies man mountain Mason Cox), to be the tall target of the Power's attack with Dixon sidelined with a broken leg.

Dixon is the Power's leader for contested marks with 38 for the season.

Ryder and Westhoff are next with 21, while Watts is ninth with eight.

"Jack's game is to lead-up at the ball, get the ball in his hands and use it pretty well, so we don't expect all of the sudden he's going to turn into a contested marking beast," Hinkley said.

"That's not his go.

"We'll use our strengths the best we can."

Watts didn't believe his role wouldn't change too much with Dixon out of the team.

"I might play a little bit more time deep, which would be nice, but at the same time, I'll still play up the ground and try and get that ball around the middle of the ground and connect us going forward," Watts said.

"Without Charlie, we won't have a big boy down there just to kick it high and he can take on three or four, but we might have to change the way we go forward and lower our eyes a bit.

"Hopefully I can get involved in that."

Watts joined the Power in exchange for pick 31 in last year's NAB AFL Draft, the Demons using that selection to secure mature-age forward Bayley Fritsch.

Watts booted six goals in a JLT Community Series game against Adelaide in March, and seven in his first four AFL games for the Power.