MATTHEW Lobbe and Patrick Ryder are itching for the opportunity to play alongside each other when Port Adelaide takes on the Sydney Swans on Thursday night.
The Power's first-choice rucks have only managed five games together this season – far too few for their partnership to find its groove.
Lobbe missed the opening three rounds of the year with a quad strain, while former Essendon star Ryder hasn't played since round eight with an Achilles injury.
Both trained on Monday, though, and Lobbe was looking forward to starting the season-defining clash at the SCG with his ruck partner.
"We spent so much time in the pre-season training together, so we really just need that opportunity to play together and see what can happen," Lobbe said.
"He was pretty keen to get back for Carlton (round 12) but fitness staff, as they always are, did the right thing and made sure he's right.
"He's keen to go and it'll be great for me, get a chop-out in the ruck and hopefully he can use that agility and speed he's got up forward as well."
Port will be desperate to start the second half of its season in winning fashion, given it sits 12th on the ladder, two wins out of the top eight with 10 games remaining.
The Power's chance of beating the Swans in Sydney appeared to improve dramatically last Friday, with both Lance Franklin and Kurt Tippett involved in incidents that could see them suspended.
On paper, their absence would greatly aid Port's cause, but Lobbe believed it would be dangerous to take that mindset into the game.
"You can't fall for the trap of thinking that Sydney are going to go about it any differently – they're a great side and they'll be the first to say they don't rely on two players," he said.
Lobbe tipped Port's hardness at the contest would be crucial if it was to turn its year around and push up into the eight.
The 26-year-old returned home to Victoria during his break but said there was no mucking around when the playing group and coach Ken Hinkley gathered on Saturday for a tough conditioning session.
"It was good to refresh a bit, we had a bit of a blow-out on Saturday with a harder session, then today was a bit more skills based," he said.
"[The break's] a good chance to look at what we've done so far and where we want to get to.
"We talked about our competitiveness inside and that contested footy and tackling has been the base of any good side and everyone in the AFL knows that."
The break also allowed Robbie Gray to fully recover from any lingering effects of the concussion that saw him subbed out of the Power's loss to the Blues before their bye.
He trained fully on Monday and laid "a few really big tackles", Lobbe said.
