Port send Fantasia for knee surgery in AFL

Port Adelaide goalsneak Orazio Fantasia has been sent for knee surgery as captain Tom Jonas admits he doesn't know if mental scars linger from last year's horror AFL finals exit.

Fantasia will have an operation in Victoria, bypassing South Australia's ban on elective surgery amid the coronavirus pandemic.

It will be Fantasia's third knee surgery since May last year after mid-season and post-season operations on his left knee.

Fantasia hasn't trained since early last month because of ongoing soreness in his right knee.

"Hopefully ... that all goes well and he can jump into his rehab and we can have him back sooner rather than later," Jonas told reporters on Wednesday.

Key forward Charlie Dixon was also recently sent interstate for an ankle operation and is in doubt for the premiership season opener on March 19.

The Power, who have re-appointed Jonas as captain for a fourth season, were demolished in a home preliminary final last year against the Western Bulldogs by 71 points.

Asked if the mental scars from the capitulation linger, Jonas replied: "I think that is something you never truly know.

"The mental space is the great unknown basically in life and predominantly sport," he said.

Port wasted little time in addressing the shock defeat, which came after Jonas' side finished second in the home-and-away rounds with 17 wins and five losses.

"It was really important that we acknowledge that game and that we got badly beaten," Jonas said.

"Obviously they (the Bulldogs) are a team we're likely to come up against to get to the pointy end again this year.

"So we have got to work out a way to beat the best teams in the comp and generally we were beaten around the ball against those teams.

"We acknowledge that, we're not going to