The Port Adelaide Football Club will spend Saturday hoping for the best ahead of scans for two key players who couldn’t play out the club’s 10-point win over St Kilda on Friday night.
Captain Connor Rozee (hamstring) and livewire Sam Powell-Pepper (knee) will both be checked out across the weekend, while Aliir Aliir (concussion) has already been ruled out of next Thursday’s Showdown against the Adelaide Crows.
Ken Hinkley’s side ran out the game with only two players on the bench for much of the second half, putting in a brave performance considering their early goal-kicking woes and lack of personnel.
But the Power can’t yet rule out an ACL for Powell-Pepper, while Hinkley suggested Rozee was likely to miss some footy.
“Connor has got soft signs of a hamstring, but we'll get a scan and be clear with what that looks like,” Hinkley said.
“He went back on, couldn't stay there, so obviously it's leaning itself towards a hamstring which will mean he'll miss a little bit of time, probably.
“And 'Pep' we're sitting back waiting and hopeful to see what scans look like with that because it looked a bit nasty with his knee.
“The medical report is that they're a little bit hopeful, but we'll wait and see again what the scan says. As soon as we know the detail, we'll share that.”
In scenes not dissimilar to those of Tigers midfielder Jacob Hopper on Wednesday night, Rozee tried to push through the injury but had little power in his legs in a brief stint back on the field.
Rozee provided more optimism than his coach when speaking to Channel 7 post-game.
“Yeah I’m okay… it was just a little nick, I think, in the hammy,” he said.
“So hopefully not too long.”
Rozee was also asked about the likelihood he could feature next week.
"It was just a little nick, I think, in the hammy. So hopefully not too long."
– Connor Rozee on his hamstring injury #AFLPowerSaints pic.twitter.com/pKPASufZvo
— 7AFL (@7AFL) April 26, 2024
“Yeah, ah, I don’t know at this stage. We’ll have a look at it tomorrow and reassess but it doesn’t feel too bad right now,” the skipper replied.
Speaking to those quotes, Kane Cornes laughed: “He’s no chance for the Showdown.”
Defender Dan Houston told AFL Nation that Powell-Pepper was positive in the rooms, as was Rozee.
“I’ve spoken to Sam but that will only tell so much,” he said.
“He’s upbeat but there’s nothing I can say until he gets a scan, really.”
On Rozee he added: “The word I’ve got is it was precautionary.”
Just a day ago, the Power revealed ruckman Ivan Soldo would miss at least a month of football after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.
Rozee has barely missed a beat in the past 24 months, playing 22 and 25 games in 2022 and 2023 respectively, while Powell-Pepper’s injury concern comes after he was suspended for the first four weeks of the season.
The Power and Crows open Round 8 with a Thursday night Showdown at Adelaide Oval.
