DURING a season in which coach Ken Hinkley was booed by his own supporters, Port Adelaide's toughest challenge may still be ahead, following the five-match suspension handed down to Dan Houston on Tuesday night.
The absence of the 2023 All-Australian for the remainder of the season leaves a hole that's tougher to cover than almost any in Port's line-up.
The club announced on Wednesday that it would appeal the verdict, hoping to reduce the ban and have him available later in the finals series. The Power pushed for a three-game suspension at the Tribunal.
You could argue there are better players at the Power – Zak Butters, Jason Horne-Francis, Connor Rozee heading that list – but it's hard to debate there's any who are more impactful (Aliir Aliir has a case).
Houston has been at the hub of many good things that have happened for Port, and a key driver of why it sits second with just an away trip to Fremantle remaining in the home and away season.
The 27-year-old half-back kicks the ball more than any of his teammates, and with good reason.
Houston is responsible for more score launches (46) than any Port Adelaide player. That number is also higher than any defender in the competition.
He has 108 score involvements in 2024. Only Dayne Zorko (113) has more for a permanent defender.
He disposes of the ball with an incredible 82 per cent efficiency.
His creativity and penetrating ball use was the foundation for his third-place finish in the John Cahill Medal last season, and again had him on track for a similar finish before his lengthy ban.
So, who will Ken Hinkley turn to?
If the Port coach wanted to get super creative and 'rob Peter to pay Paul', he could swing Darcy Byrne-Jones to his original defensive home, where he won a best and fairest and All-Australian blazer in 2020.
However, with the 28-year-old having such a major impact inside forward 50, that would seem a stretch. And a huge risk.
The two most likely candidates are Ryan Burton and Josh Sinn.
Burton has been a staple of Port teams since he was traded from Hawthorn at the end of 2018 in a deal that sent Chad Wingard to the Hawks.
He has played 103 games for Port, nearly all in defence, although returned to the senior team as a forward in Saturday night's Showdown after overcoming a foot injury that saw him miss a significant chunk of the season.
With Mitch Georgiades (quad) and Todd Marshall (concussion) both expected to be available to face the Dockers, shifting Burton back seems the logical move.
However, if Hinkley is looking for a little more attacking 'oompf' to replicate Houston's impact, perhaps Sinn is the man.
Taken at No.12 in the 2021 AFL Draft, Sinn has struggled to impact at the top level, playing just eight games across three seasons, including four this year.
Injury has hampered him, most recently a quad problem, but the best version of Sinn is a quick defender who kick well, and with penetration, on his left boot.
Unproven at the top level, his selection at the business time of the year would clearly come with a greater risk.
Byrnes-Jones, Burton or Sinn, or will Hinkley go another way?
One man's absence is another's opportunity, and the next three to five weeks could give one player a chance to write their name into Port Adelaide history.
