Port Adelaide dynamo Chad Wingard wants to fill a midfield void left by teammate Jared Polec's foot injury.
Wingard is eyeing more time on the ball in Sunday's AFL clash against West Coast, with Polec ruled out for at least eight weeks.
The Power summoned Brendan Ah Chee for his third AFL game to replace Polec, the sole change to Port's side which down arch rival Adelaide last start.
Wingard has made a quick name for himself as a floating forward, gaining All Australian honours in just his second season.
But the 21-year-old wants to take an increasing midfield role, particularly given the absence of Polec - like Wingard, a swift-moving left-footer.
"You have got to try and add to your game, you have got to be versatile," Wingard said.
"I'm learning from the guys in the midfield to try and add things to my game.
"If someone goes down like we've had, we've had Ollie Wines (broken wrist) go down, (Jared) Polec it's something I want to have in my bag, that I'm prepared for.
"It's something I'm trying to work on."
The Power have banked three wins and two losses from a horrid start to the season: their early rounds included encounters with powerhouses Hawthorn, Sydney, Fremantle, North Melbourne and the Crows.
And 10th-placed Port will start favourite on home turf against West Coast, despite the fifth-placed Eagles also recording three wins and a pair of losses.
The Eagles declared key forward Josh Kennedy a starter for the Adelaide Oval match despite an elbow injury.
"It was reported that he may have needed an operation, but that was you guys (the media), not us," coach Adam Simpson said on Friday.
"He had scans, we had second opinions. It was never a part of our concern at all after consulting specialists.
"So it was more how he feels, what he can tolerate."
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