Port Adelaide will be without Showdown Medallists Chad Wingard and Hamish Hartlett for Saturday night’s Showdown XLI at Adelaide Oval.
A regular big-game performer, Wingard famously kicked Port Adelaide to victory in Showdown XXXV back in 2013 with a match-winning five-goal performance, including the sealer with less than 30 seconds to play.
Like Wingard, Power vice-captain Hartlett is also a proven derby performer, having won the Showdown XXXVI Medal back in 2014.
Power coach Ken Hinkley ruled both players out for the remainder of the season, with speedster Matt White also to be sidelined after suffering a fractured cheekbone in the SANFL.
“It’s a significant hamstring (for Wingard), he obviously won’t play any more football this year,” Hinkley said.
“It’s a pretty good assessment of what’s happened to us away from the game-day stuff throughout the year, the types of things we’ve had to deal with have been a little bit more than we would’ve liked.
“We lost (Matt) White again today with a potential fractured cheekbone, Wingard with a hamstring, (Hamish) Hartlett’s ruled out now with a calf, so there’s a few, but that’s the footy season and that’s what happens.
“You make your own luck and we’ve made some bad luck.”
The Power will also be sweating on the fitness of key forward Charlie Dixon, who has been hampered by an ongoing ankle complaint.
Hinkley said the 25-year-old wouldn’t play in Showdown XLI if there was any risk of long-term injury to the former Sun.
“He’s given his all as far as trying to compete and stuff, but maybe there’s a decision there we have to look at, can he actually do everything he needs to do for Charlie to be the player we want him to be?” he said.
“And right now, perhaps the right thing is not to play Charlie. I don't know. We’ll look at that early in the week.
“If there’s any risk with Charlie going forward, we’ll take that out now.’'
The Power could call upon forward duo Jay Schulz and John Butcher as potential inclusions for Saturday’s clash with the Crows.
Schulz kicked 2.2, picked up nine disposals and six marks in Port Adelaide’s 55-point SANFL win over Glenelg.
It was the 31-year-old's third consecutive SANFL game, after he was omitted following the Round 18 loss to Greater Western Sydney.
Returning to the SANFL after three games in the AFL, Butcher had 13 disposals and registered a point in the win over the Tigers.
