PORT Adelaide midfielder Ollie Wines will be sidelined for at least a month after he dislocated his wrist during the Power's dramatic eight-point win over North Melbourne.
Wines suffered the injury in a seemingly innocuous incident when he pushed off Kangaroos skipper Andrew Swallow in the frantic final term.
The 20-year-old immediately took himself from the field cradling his right wrist and was substituted out of the game soon after.
The Power feared a significant injury and on Sunday, coach Ken Hinkley confirmed the tough onballer would miss at least a month of football.
"He'll possibly miss somewhere between four and six weeks, I'd reckon," Hinkley told radio station SEN.
"He hasn't missed a game in his first two-and-a-half years, he played his 50th game (in round one). He's an outstanding story for us.
"It's a challenge. It's the first one (injury) he's faced to be honest. He's got to get back and do some stuff off the ground that's going to get him back as quick as he can.
"He's an absolute pro, that's why he's going to be a great player."
Wines has made a huge impact at Alberton since he was taken with pick No.7 in the 2012 NAB AFL Draft, and the Echuca-raised youngster was elevated to the leadership group this year.
Speaking on Channel Seven, Travis Boak said the powerfully built midfielder has never been shy of speaking up, with Wines prepared to chastise the skipper for failing to set up properly at a stoppage during his debut season.
While Hinkley said Wines' absence would be keenly felt, the coach said Port had in-form reserves ready to step up over the next month – which begins with tough clashes against reigning premiers Hawthorn and crosstown rivals Adelaide.
"The (Port Adelaide) Magpies are playing really well in the SANFL, they've won their first two games by good margins," he said.
"Andrew Moore has played his second game back, Paul Stewart, Tom Clurey – a young bloke we'd like to play – Karl Amon, Cam O'Shea; there's eight or nine or 10 blokes sitting back in our SANFL side that we'd be comfortable enough to play."
Hinkley also said hard-running veteran Kane Cornes would return to face the Hawks at home on Anzac Day.
Cornes travelled to Melbourne with the team for the North clash and was seen running himself to exhaustion at Etihad Stadium after the final siren.
Hinkley reiterated Cornes wasn't dropped for the match, but was managed in line with the club's plans to use him in 16-20 games this year and rarely more than three or four matches in a row.
Including the final NAB Challenge match, Cornes had played three straight games before the clash with North.
"We look after him, we freshen him up and we know we bring him back next week for Hawthorn, who are going to be a significant challenge for us," Hinkley said.
"But we know Kane can then go A, B, C, D, E with Hawthorn – the number of players he can go to and run with and be there fresh and ready to go."
