PORT Adelaide midfielder Hamish Hartlett will opt for surgery on his injured shoulder and an early finish to 2011 in order to be ready for next season.
Hartlett dislocated his left shoulder in the Power's loss to North Melbourne at AAMI Stadium two weeks ago.
The 20-year-old recovered in time to play against the Brisbane Lions on Sunday, but will require a reconstruction to repair the loose joint.
The reconstructive surgery involves a recovery period of up to six months, and Hartlett said on Monday that he plans to have the operation after Port Adelaide's second bye in round 18 to be ready for the 2012 pre-season.
"I'll certainly have to have an operation at some stage," Hartlett said.
"It [my shoulder] is not causing me any problems, but if I were to have an operation after the season it wouldn't allow me to get a full pre-season.
"We'll see how we go leading up to the bye, and I might possibly get a couple of games in after that. We'll see how it goes from there."
Hartlett was restricted to only 15 games in his first two seasons at Alberton because of persistent soft-tissue injuries, but has experienced a welcome change of fortune this year.
The former No.4 draft pick has played 12 straight games - his most in succession since joining the Power - and said he was determined to keep playing as long as his shoulder remained intact.
"It sent a bit of a shiver down my spine when my shoulder dislocated last week, but it slipped back in pretty easily and wasn't too painful," he said.
"I can play as much footy probably up to round 17 or 18. It's something I want to do personally because I'm on a pretty good run at the moment, which I haven't been able to do over the last couple of years.
"I've had my fair share of soft-tissue injuries over the last couple of years … they're not the injuries you want to get especially at a young age like mine. Having a shoulder [injury] over a hamstring, I'll take that any day."
Hartlett spent more time out of the congested midfield at the Gabba on Sunday, playing loose across half-back, but that didn't stop the Lions players from testing his shoulder out.
"The Brisbane boys certainly knew about it," he said.
"They were targeting it, but I don't know if they did their homework too well because they were smashing my right shoulder more than my left.
"It was all a bit of fun … it's fair game as far as I'm concerned."
Port Adelaide led by 20 points in time-on of the third quarter before being overrun late in the game, and not for the first time this season.
The Power failed to kick a goal in the final term, eventually losing by 11 points.
The club has developed an unwanted reputation for folding under pressure, and Hartlett said the players were "hurt" by the tag.
"It's got to do with the concentration levels of the group," he said.
"We showed on the weekend we were unable to execute certain structures and skills at crucial times of the game and it certainly cost us goals.
"We've got to keep persisting … because it can turn around really quickly. We as a young group have certainly got faith in the young guys we've got and the coaching staff. Things are going to turn around sooner rather than later."
Forward Simon Phillips is also likely to require an operation after dislocating his shoulder in the loss to the Lions, but the club is yet to advise on a timeframe for his surgery.
Katrina Gill covers Port Adelaide news for afl.com.au. Follow her on Twitter: @AFL_KatrinaGill
