Much like Brazilian World Cup star Neymar, Port Adelaide has suffered a fractured vertebra.
On Saturday night that key defenders Alipate Carlile and Jackson Trengove were missed. The two are critical to Ken Hinkley’s team’s spine.
In retrospect, over the season Port Adelaide have had their fair share of injuries, it was just that majority of the players who suffered injuries in the first part of the year were playing for the Port Adelaide Magpies rather than in the AFL for the Power.
Cameron Hitchcock has been battling injuries all year, up-and-coming key forward Mason Shaw hurt his wrist so badly he had to go on the long term injury list, and youngster Sam Colquhoun is out for the season with a knee injury. There were and are various second-tier players who have suffered injuries at Alberton.
Many believed Port Adelaide’s injury-free run came to an end when Carlile and Trengove limped away from Showdown 37, but it really ended when Angus Monfries copped the first of numerous ankle injuries against Hawthorn in Round 10.
After a trip to Alice Springs in Round 11, Power captain Travis Boak and valuable speedster Matt White were taken out after sustaining ankle and foot injuries respectively. Port Adelaide players Andrew Moore and Paul Stewart also walked away wounded from the battle with Melbourne.
Either Ken Hinkley or high performance manager Darren Burgess must have walked by a black cat by the time Round 13 came around, as Jared Polec did not pass a fitness test to face Sydney Swans after rolling his ankle against St Kilda the weekend before.
That totaled three ankle injuries in as many weeks.
Another rolled ankle occurred, this time Hamish Hartlett, during the Swans game. He could not finish the match, being subbed off in the third quarter.
Showdown 37 came around and it seemed Port Adelaide were playing their full strength side after every player came out of the Round 14 match-up with Western Bulldogs unscathed.
Unfortunately for Port Adelaide’s spine, Trengove was subbed out of the game at halftime with, yet again, an ankle injury. The club also stated that Carlile would undergo scans on one of his hamstrings after pulling up sore from the loss to Adelaide.
Last Wednesday, the club reported that Carlile’s scans discovered a minor hamstring strain, which would see him on the sidelines for at least three weeks. Later the same day the club also revealed Trengove had successful surgery after straining his ankle. Trengove would be expected to sit out for at least five weeks.
The skies are clearing for the Power, with utility Paul Stewart and promising young midfielder Andrew Moore returning through the SANFL this weekend. However, with the key players Carlile and Trengove still out of the Power’s 22, it’ll be interesting to see how Port Adelaide’s defense lines up against the likes of Jack Riewoldt and Ty Vickery.
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