PORT Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley admits it will likely take an injury for co-captain Ollie Wines to return to the side in the charge towards the finals.
FULL INJURY LIST Who's ruled out and who's a test?
Wines was available for selection for Saturday's encounter with Sydney at Adelaide Oval after missing the past three weeks with a fractured thumb, but he will instead run out for Port Adelaide Magpies in the SANFL on Sunday.
The 24-year-old midfield bull has played just nine senior games this season, with a dislocated shoulder suffered in the pre-season, a fractured leg and then the thumb injury placing road blocks in his path to playing consistent football.
Wines has managed just four senior games for the Power since round seven. Picture: AFL Photos
Hinkley said he wanted to reward the players that got the job done in last weekend's 59-point thumping of Essendon at Marvel Stadium that kickstarted the Power's finals chances.
"I have no hesitation in playing Ollie tomorrow, but the team played really well last week, so Ollie misses out," Hinkley told reporters on Friday.
"That's just a little bit of bad luck.
"It's not that he's not a great player and it's not that our joint captain, it's just that the team played well.
"He's coming off a long-term injury and the likelihood is he will be in our team sooner rather than later, but this game is a combative game and injuries happen.
"That's probably what's going to happen for Ollie to get back in the side."
Hinkley dismissed suggestions Wines wasn't in the club's best side.
"We'd much rather the team stay strong all the way through," he said.
"It makes Ollie frustrated a little bit, but let's not get confused, you're trying to angle it that Ollie's not in our best 22.
"That's not quite right.
"Ollie would probably be able to play and play somewhere near his best.
"I'm respectful of the team and the balance and the way we played last week.
"Collectively, we had a pretty strong performance."
I have no hesitation in playing Ollie tomorrow, but the team played really well last week, so Ollie misses out - Ken Hinkley
The Power have gone in unchanged, meaning there's no room for West Coast premiership-winning ruckman Scott Lycett for a second straight week.
More rain is forecast, with the Power keen to adapt to the conditions better than have recently.
"We're aware we haven't played our absolute best when it's been wet, partiucarly at home," Hinkley said.
"You take territory when you can, you don't try and overuse the ball.
"Our game's based on playing front-half footy anyway, so if we can get it in there and lock it in there, we think we can do that pretty well."
The Power were outstanding against the Bombers last week, but they haven't been consistent this season.
Sitting ninth at 9-10, and only a win behind eighth-placed Adelaide, the Power are aiming for back-to-back wins for the first time since rounds five and six.
"Our behaviours don't change, we'd just like to change the result," Hinkley said.
"We've had a couple of those games that we could've nearly, but we couldn't.
"Our challenge is to get it done.
"Where we sit in the season, we've just got to get it done."
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