HIS "NEW toy" is unwrapped and ready to go, and Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley can't wait to try out star recruit Patrick Ryder.
Ryder and teammate Angus Monfries were given the all clear by the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal on Tuesday to line up for round one, absolved of any wrongdoing in Essendon's supplements saga.
The potential for suspension meant they both sat out the entire NAB Challenge, rendering Hinkley unable to experiment with Ryder's role and position.
Hinkley said it would take time to work out exactly what Ryder could do for the Power.
"Have you ever got a new toy and you're not quite sure [how to play with it]?" Hinkley asked.
"I've got a new telly put up at home yesterday and I go, 'Well, what's that going to do? How's that going to work?' I'm not quite sure.
"Paddy's not quite sure, the team's not quite sure, but the more chances we get to play with it the more informed we'll be about what we can actually do with it.
"That's exciting; Paddy will grow in our team and our team will grow with Paddy as the season unfolds."
Hinkley said Ryder's was not the missing piece in Port's premiership puzzle.
He arrived at Alberton last October to much fanfare, brought in by a club as another tall attacking target as well as a genuine ruck option to help Matthew Lobbe.
For a team that missed out on a Grand Final berth by just three points, the inclusion of Essendon's star big man was seen as the bonus that could deliver the Power a second flag.
Hinkley dismissed such discussion as 'media talk'.
"Without being disrespectful, the people who are saying Paddy's the missing piece are writing the stories and producing the shows," he said.
"I'm not going to sit here and deny Paddy Ryder is a significant get for our footy club, because he is, and we're really happy to have him here, but he's not the missing piece.
"I will say it again, you're not one player away from being a great side."
Port will fly to Perth on Friday in preparation for its season opener against Fremantle on Sunday.
The two sides last met in last year's semi-final, when the Power fought back from a 31-point deficit to knock the Dockers out of the finals.
Hinkley didn't expect Fremantle coach Ross Lyon to enter the match with revenge on his mind.
"I don't think Ross would coach that way; Ross will be coaching about winning round one in 2015, as I will," he said.
"That's gone – there's nothing we can do about that – both sides will need to be at their absolute best if they're going to come away with a win on Sunday night."
