PORT Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley admits the Power are taking a risk with forward Chad Wingard, returning for Showdown 44 just 14 days after suffering a hamstring injury against North Melbourne.
Wingard was one of four inclusions alongside Sam Powell-Pepper, Tom Rockliff and Tom Clurey as the Power aim to snap a five-game losing streak to bitter rivals Adelaide at Adelaide Oval on Saturday.
It will be Powell-Pepper's first AFL game since the Power's round three win over Brisbane, after which he was involved in a drunken late-night incident.
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Wingard looked to be gone for all money when he clutched at his hamstring when taking a mark, then remarkably kicking the goal before coming from the ground in the Power's round six win against North Melbourne.
But the 24-year-old has made a better-than-expected recovery and ticked all the boxes the Power needed to see.
"He had some slight hamstring issues, there's no doubt about that, but our medical team are really clear that he's passed everything," Hinkley said on Friday.
"He ran fast on Friday last week, he's trained all week this week, and we'd be waiting for the sake of waiting.
"There's some risk with any hamstring return and Chad might be at risk tomorrow, but we understand those risks and we're prepared to take them."
Wingard will be carefully monitored to see if he can handle the long-haul flight to China on Tuesday for next Saturday's clash with Gold Coast in Shanghai.
Powell-Pepper was available for last weekend's loss to West Coast, but he was given a second week in the SANFL to build his match fitness after missing three games for his off-field incident.
The 20-year-old was subjected to verbal abuse from the crowd in his first game back in the SANFL against Sturt on Anzac Day, but Hinkley said he was ready for anything that would come his way.
"I think Sam's ready," Powell-Pepper said.
"Sam's had a couple games back at a lower level and he's dealt with some of those little issues already, he understands the mistakes he's made and he owns them.
"He'll have some freedom to get out there tomorrow night to play the game he loves and move on, and that's what he's trying to do."
The Power trail the Crows in the overall Showdown ledger 22-21 after losing the past five encounters, including a record 84-point thumping the last time the sides met in round 20 last year.
"We don't enjoy losing to the Adelaide Crows, we don't enjoy losing to anyone," Hinkley said.
"Particularly in Adelaide, we don't enjoy it.
"We get an opportunity tomorrow to try and correct that.
"We understand the quality of the opponent we're playing. I think that goes missing sometimes, this is a high-class football team we're playing against and we're going to give our absolute best to make the number 1-0 in our favour."
All four of the Power's emergencies – Dom Barry, Karl Amon, Jasper Pittard and Jack Trengove – trained with the team at Adelaide Oval on Friday morning.
