PORT Adelaide ruckman Paddy Ryder is a "significant chance" of facing Nic Naitanui in the round seven clash with West Coast, Power coach Ken Hinkley says.
Despite Power assistant coach Brendon Lade on Monday saying Ryder could be anywhere from two to five weeks from returning from an Achilles injury, Hinkley believes Ryder could miss just two more games – this Saturday night's clash with Geelong, and the round six encounter with North Melbourne.
"Paddy is a significant chance to be available, I would say, for, not North Melbourne, the week after, West Coast," Hinkley told Adelaide radio station FIVEaa on Tuesday night.
"We think he'll miss two more if he continues on the path he is now, but as we all know with Achilles (injuries), if they get sore anytime during that, that can extend out.
"I don't like putting false promises out there, but today, I suspect it will be two to three weeks."
Ryder – last year's All Australian ruckman and the Power's best and fairest – injured his Achilles in the club's round one win against Fremantle.
Midfielder Tom Rockliff is doubtful to face the Cats at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night.
Rockliff injured his calf muscle in the first quarter of the Power's loss to Essendon last Sunday at Etihad Stadium, but played on to assist with rotations.
"There's a chance he's probably not going to come up this week," Hinkley said.
"The scan showed a very, very small soleus strain, which is a pretty simple thing and more often than not, then can come up in a week.
"There was no damage really being done with Tom playing on, but you could see he was hobbling and he had a crook calf."
Defender Jasper Pittard impressed in the SANFL last weekend in his first game back from a hamstring injury sustained in the Power's JLT Community Series game against Adelaide.
Hinkley said Pittard would need another week before being considered for the AFL side.
However, the Power's SANFL side doesn't play until Anzac Day, which would then rule Pittard out of the AFL clash with the Kangaroos.
"We'll probably be a little conservative with Jasper," Hinkley said.
"The only problem we have is that this week, the SANFL don't play until next Wednesday, so we just need to give him a bit more conditioning.
"Now, whether that's just on the training track before we give him an AFL game, because next Wednesday will be too late to consider him for the following Saturday.
"It puts us in a bit of an awkward spot."
Hinkley said he hadn't decided if midfielder Sam Powell-Pepper would be recalled for the clash with the Cats after serving a one-game club-imposed suspension for breaking team rules.
