PORT Adelaide ruckman Paddy Ryder will manage his Achilles injury for the rest of the season before needing a lengthy break to allow it to fully heal.

Ryder injured his left Achilles tendon in the round one win against Fremantle, missed five weeks and has played the past three games.

Last year's All Australian ruckman is on a modified training program where he does a main training session once a week, but also does calf raises and puts other 'loading' into the tendon every day to prevent it from seizing up.

Ryder is confident he can still compete with the premier big men in the League and won't need surgery at the end of the season.

"With the Achilles, it's an ongoing thing, but something that we manage pretty closely," Ryder told reporters on Monday.

"I'm still building my way back into things and working my way into how my body feels.

"I've got to be able to train well, be able to get the right training loads in to perform on the weekend.

"We've been through a little bit of trial and error along with the physios and the docs, we've got it down pat now."

Ryder will take part in the Power's main training session each week before being eased through to give himself the best chance of taking the field.

"That's the big session that the guys build me up for, we get a lot of load in that session," Ryder said.

"The rest of the time is getting ready for the game.

"After a game, that's cooling it down and making sure it hasn't got any worse.

"I probably need a decent break for it to be able to come good, but I'm not able to get that during the season.

"The stuff we have got in place is working pretty well at the moment.

"The tendon tends to react well to a bit of loading every day.

"We found if I have too many days off, I come back a little bit sore again."

Ryder had a similar problem with his right Achilles a couple of years ago, which has now healed after having time to recover.

After having the bye last weekend, the Power (6-3) travel to Launceston to face Hawthorn on Saturday.

Ryder's uncle Kevin Bynder designed the Power's indigenous guernsey they will wear for the Sir Doug Nicholls Round encounter.

"To be able to put my mark on the Port Adelaide jumper, there's not many going around that are able to do that, so I feel very lucky and very privileged," Ryder said.

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