LACHIE JONES is a convert. He is shedding the label of "half-back flanker" to eagerly accept the challenging task of a high half-forward.

"Having had a bit of a taste as a forward, I would choose playing forward over back," said Jones, the AFL Rising Star nominee for round 15 after his 16-disposals - with eight score involvements - against Gold Coast at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.

"It is always nicer running away from someone than trying to chase someone. It has been a nice change after playing as a defender for the past few years (in the AFL and SANFL). So hopefully I will stick with forward for a little bit."

And the 186-centimetre cult hero - with one of the most-admired mullets in the game - has noted how forwards get more praise than defenders.

"It's pretty cool ... it is nice to get some recognition for a decent game," said Jones, who could have earned the Rising Star honour for those exhilarating games in his 18-match record that were played in defence.

Jones might be away from the defenders' club, but he still has that gripe that all men in the back half of the field carry: That they are not dutifully recognised for saving goals.

"It is easier for forwards to get that recognition for kicking goals; defenders go under the radar and are not rated as highly as forwards and midfielders," Jones said. "I'm a forward now ... so I'll take it (the Rising Star nomination).

"No, (the nomination) wasn't overdue," adds Jones of the nomination for the annual Ron Evans Medal as the league's best under-21 player who starts a season with less than 10 games to his resume.

"I have had inconsistent form this year ... I didn't really expect (the Rising Star nomination) to come playing forward, but it is good."

That inconsistency - after a strong pre-season - and Port Adelaide's need to rework its attack to cover the loss by injury of Charlie Dixon, Orazio Fantasia and Robbie Gray prompted Port Adelaide's coaching panel to recast Jones as a half-forward this season.

"I don't know if it is permanent," says Jones of his move to the Port Adelaide attack while there also is the plan at Alberton to add midfield duty to his portfolio.

"Talking to (forwards coach) Nathan Bassett and (senior coach) Kenny (Hinkley) we are looking to keep me forward this season. The conversation was that back lines was not working, so forward was where I was going to play.

"The past few weeks have shown that it has been a good change for me - and the team. So hopefully I will stay there for a while.

"There were some areas I needed to work on (when in defence). Ground-ball, kicking, aerial contests ... they were not quite up to scratch as a defender. Plus we had some boys lining up to get back into the team. A spot opened up as a forward and Kenny just said, 'Go in there and bring some pressure'. I feel that is what I have done the past few weeks.

"I just follow Sam Powell-Pepper's lead. The first week I played forward against Richmond (at the MCG), Ken said that Sam and I had similar attributes and I am learning from Sam on how to hunt the opposition, create a contest and try to keep the ball in our forward half.

"If I kick any goals, it is a bonus.

"Ken said I don't need to come away from a game with 20 disposals either. It has been a good couple of weeks and (round 15 against Sydney) was just that - five disposals and plenty of pressure and creating goals for the team. That has been a good role for me. And I love it.

"There were a couple of contests last week (against Gold Coast) where Sam and I sandwiched a couple of blokes, so it has been good."

The conversion to midfield remains on the long-term agenda at Port Adelaide.

"Everyone aspires to play in the midfield," Jones said. "There is potential to play there in the future. Another pre-season under the belt and see what pops up next year. We do have plenty of depth in the midfield right now, so we will see how it goes."

Jones, 20, was part of Port Adelaide's next generation academy before being recruited from SANFL club Woodville-West Torrens with pick No. 16 in the 2020 AFL national draft (where Collingwood also declared its interest). He was quickly in AFL ranks, making his national league debut in round 4, 2021 - a home match against AFL premiers Richmond that included a memorable duel with Brownlow Medallist Dustin Martin.

Jones began his second AFL season - the one noted for the risk of "second-year blues" - with senior coach Ken Hinkley admiring his work in a pre-season game.

"His game was made of men's stuff. It was a tough performance - that is his DNA," Hinkley said after the summer Showdown at Richmond Oval. "He plays footy the way you like to see it played. He is not the most polished; he does not look the most tidy at times, but he plays in the right manner. He understands how to play footy."

Jones' conversion to forward follows much of his recent development in SANFL ranks at Woodville-West Torrens being as a defender.

"I have not played a full season as a forward since under-17s," Jones said. "I played an odd game here and there last year - one against Gold Coast but did a hamstring and that pretty much wrote me off for the rest of the season.

"Over the past five years, there is probably a total of two games (as a forward before the recent conversion in the Port Adelaide AFL line-up)."

Jones will turn his attention to the Fremantle defenders for Sunday's twilight clash at Perth Stadium where Port Adelaide will be measured against a current top-eight opponent. Winning the match would allow Port Adelaide to have a positive win-loss count for the first time this season after a 0-5 start.

"There has been a shift in how we play," Jones said of the revival built on a 7-2 ledger since round 5. "The group stuck tight the whole time. We had areas we had to fix, but there was nothing that was way out of proportion. We just had to tidy up on a few things.

"Week by week we focused on new things. It has been a good build up - and 7-2 after 0-5 is a massive change in wins and losses. But there has not been a massive change in our game plan. We will keep pursuing that and see how far we can go.

"It is much more enjoyable rocking up on a Monday or Tuesday after a win. The group stuck tight; there was not guys coming to the club at 0-5 asking, 'What's going on here?' We stuck tight and we have made it through now.

"The connection between the whole group has been solid over the past few years. The past two have not gone to plan in finals. But the connection between all players on and off the field has been really strong. That is a massive contributor to making sure we have our heads on when we get to the footy.

"It is pretty serious now (as Port Adelaide is ranked 12 and effectively needing possibly six wins from the remaining eight home-and-away matches, plus more percentage, to qualify for September's top-eight finals). We put ourselves in this position, but we are ready to fight out the rest of the season and take it to the rest of the competition.”

Jones is Port Adelaide's first Rising Star nomination this season - and first since Miles Bergman was honoured in round 21 last season, when Mitch Georgiades was given his second nomination in two years (round 5, 2021 and round 9, 2020).

Port Adelaide's current squad also includes 2019 nominee Xavier Duursma (round 6) and 2019 Rising Star runner-up Connor Rozee (round 3); Riley Bonner (2018, round 1); Sam Powell-Pepper (2017, round 1) and Dan Houston (round 21); .deputy vice-captain Darcy Byrne-Jones (2016, round 10); vice-captain Ollie Wines (2013, round 1); and Robbie Gray (2007, round 12) and former captain Travis Boak (2007, round 19).

Defender Ryan Burton earned a Rising Star nomination while at Hawthorn.

Former Port Adelaide defenders Michael Wilson (1997) and Danyle Pearce (2006) claim the mantle as the club's only winners of the Rising Star award.