Port Adelaide have rewarded pint-sized forward Cameron Hitchcock for a brilliant pre-season turn in attack, promoting him to the AFL club's senior list ahead of their round one meeting with North Melbourne.

Hitchcock was granted the opportunity due to the back stress fractures that have placed draftee John Butcher on the long-term injury list, and did so ahead of former Collingwood and Carlton tall Cameron Cloke, who remains listed as a Power rookie.

"I had a meeting with Choco (Mark Williams) last night and he told me that the club was going to upgrade me today," Hitchcock told reporters at Alberton on Wednesday.

"I've really enjoyed playing so far in the NAB Cup and this is a great opportunity for me."

Hitchcock said the battle between he and Cloke for a spot on the senior list - there is a nominal second spot still available while David Rodan continues his recovery from knee surgery - was a healthy sign of the depth available to Port's match committee.

"I think it's great for the club to have that competition for spots. It keeps everyone on edge and knowing that they have to perform each week," Hitchcock said.

"Clokey has had a great pre-season as well and I reckon he's still around the mark."

Weighing only 70kg, Hitchcock's slight frame has not prevented him nabbing numerous eye-catching goals in pre-season matches, and he said he was comfortable with the thought of crashing against far bigger bodies on a more regular basis.

"There's still a week-and-a-half until round one, so I've got to keep an emphasis on training well and I'll see how I go from there," Hitchcock said.

"You try not to get ahead of yourself because I haven't played a proper AFL game yet. I've only played four NAB Cup games, so I've still got a long way to go and you can always keep learning and improving.

"The plan is to put a bit of weight on, but I've been this size for as long as I can remember so I'm kind of used to it now."

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