PORT Adelaide still doesn't know whether star ruckman Matthew Lobbe will finally return to its line-up for Saturday night's Anzac Day clash against Hawthorn.
Lobbe is yet to play a game this season after injuring his quad just before round one.
The loss of Ollie Wines to a wrist injury only intensifies Lobbe's value for the Power - the ruckman led Port for tackles last season and Wines had picked up considerable slack in his absence.
Wines will miss up to six weeks after dislocating his wrist against North Melbourne.
Lobbe will undergo yet another fitness test at Adelaide Oval on Wednesday night ahead of the club's selection meeting on Thursday.
The key big man has been impressive on the training track but skipper Travis Boak couldn't guarantee Lobbe would play at the weekend.
"I saw him running around on Monday and he looked really, really good," Boak said.
"At this stage he's progressing pretty well but he’ll just have to get through tonight and see what happens from there."
The loss of Wines was further compounded by the suspension of his most likely replacement in Andrew Moore.
Even if Port's appeal against Moore's three-week ban for touching an SANFL umpire is successful, it remains highly unlikely he'd be available to play against the Hawks.
But Boak insisted the club had other options, praising the performances of Aaron Young and debutant Brendon Ah Chee last weekend.
Young collected 18 possessions, kicked two goals and laid 10 tackles, while Ah Chee – a similar build to Wines – was impressive when subbed on in the final term.
"It is a big loss but we've spoken in the past about (the fact) our team's not just one player and certainly we'll look to replace Ollie as well as we can," Boak said.
"'Youngy' played a fantastic game on the weekend, Brendon Ah Chee is certainly in the same mould as Ollie, same body shape, and really cracks in.
"The way he came on in that last quarter was exactly what we needed from him but he's right to go for a full game if needed.
"We've got guys who can come in and help replace Ollie, probably not to that level, but certainly in the way we want to play our brand of footy."
Saturday night will be the first time Port has played an AFL game on Anzac Day.
Players will wear a commemorative jumper that showcases the names of 120 servicemen who also played for Port.
They will also vie for the Peter Badcoe VC Medal.
Badcoe was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross in 1967.
Boak won the medal last year and said it was a huge honour to wear the names of so many who had served the country.
"It's hard to put into words really, certainly hope we can represent them as well as we can because they've done so much for this country and for our club," he said.
