Orazio Fantasia won't partake in any more football this year and will instead look ahead to building toward his 2023 pre-season. Image: AFL Photos.

ORAZIO Fantasia is taking a rest - and expects a solid pre-season to revive his fortunes in the critical role as a specialist forward in the Port Adelaide line-up.

Fantasia, 27 next month, will not return to the AFL field this year after being troubled by a quad injury in his comeback from a succession of corrective knee surgeries since last season's AFL preliminary final. The final straw came in Fantasia "warm down" after the SANFL match at the weekend.

But the livewire goalkicker is more than optimistic on his prospects in Season 2023 as he puts a full focus on a full pre-season campaign during the summer.

"I am going to have a couple of weeks of good rest - and I don't need surgery," said Fantasia on Friday. "I can go into the off-season for the first time in almost five, perhaps six, years without any surgery.

"I know I will get good training in and come Day 1 of pre-season I will be out there training."

Fantasia has appeared on Port Adelaide's AFL team sheet just once this season - as the medical substitute in the clash with North Melbourne in Hobart on May 14. He did not take the field and has been on a stop-start run in the SANFL ever since.

Fantasia says he felt sore during the SANFL match against the Double Blues, with scans later revealing he aggravated a quad injury. Image: Michael Sullivan.

The strain of working back to fitness to push for AFL selection has been notable physically and mentally.

"It has been mentally challenging trying to get up, then getting hurt and getting up again," Fantasia said. "It is a pretty repetitive cycle and can be pretty tough."

Fantasia has stepped away from football after feeling sore in his recovery from Saturday's SANFL clash with Sturt at Unley Oval.

"I had a little bit of a hiccup during the captain's run (training session last Friday)," Fantasia explained. "I spoke to the physio and we didn't think it was much, so I played the game.

"But I was not moving great and was pretty sore. I ended up getting a scan that shows I have re-aggravated that scar tissue and clipped a bit off. So that quad is not really healing too well. Now it is about rest and re-starting."

Fantasia paid tribute to senior coach Ken Hinkley who will continue as senior coach - as contracted - for Season 2023.

"Ken has every player's support," said Fantasia, adding the players need to repay the faith shown in them by Hinkley with stronger performances next year.

"Unfortunately, we have not had the best season. That is on us as players. It is not the coach. We, as players, have not delivered consistently in games. That comes back to our mindset as players and how we play the game. If we don't play well as players, it is the coach who cops the brunt of it."