Jason Horne-Francis set to miss GWS clash, Ollie Wines may undergo more heart surgery

Port Adelaide will welcome the return of a host of senior players for their clash with GWS in Canberra. But how far away is Jason Horne-Francis?

Port Adelaide will not risk star midfielder Jason Horne-Francis against GWS in Canberra on Saturday night.

The Power has ruled Horne-Francis out for a second consecutive match due to a hamstring strain but he is expected to face Melbourne at home next week.

Port is taking a cautious approach with the 21-year-old’s injury, sustained during the home loss to Geelong three rounds ago.

Horne-Francis trained at Alberton in the club’s light session on Tuesday.

Jason Horne-Francis will miss another week. Picture: Getty Images

But Port will have some key reinforcements as it looks to snap a four-game losing streak and win its first match in more than a month.

The Power, which is fresh off a bye and desperate to turn its season around against the Giants around after a 4-7 start, will be boosted by the returns of half-backs Kane Farrell (knee) and Josh Sinn (hip), while small forward Darcy Byrne-Jones is poised to clear concussion protocols.

Farrell has missed the past two matches, Sinn one and Byrne-Jones none, thanks to the bye.

Esava Ratugolea (hamstring) is also tipped to be available, but he may have to return via the SANFL after fellow key defender Brandon Zerk-Thatcher’s comeback last round.

Ratugolea will be tested on Wednesday and Byrne-Jones should be cleared to return to full training in that session.

The Power has listed recruit Jack Lukosius as two to three weeks away because of a back issue.

Lukosius is nearing a return. Picture: Getty Images

Lukosius, who joined the club as part of the Dan Houston deal last October, sustained a fractured kneecap in round 2, then had his setback after all but completing his rehabilitation.

Defender Lachie Jones is still three to five weeks from returning from his hamstring injury.

Rookie Josh Lai is a chance to be available at SANFL level and will be assessed as he makes his comeback from a hand problem.

Saturday night will be Port’s first match at Manuka Oval since 2017.

The Power has a 1-4 record at the ground and has lost its past two matches – in Sydney last year and Adelaide in 2023 – against the Giants.

GWS sits seventh with a 7-5 win-loss ratio.

WINES’ ONE-IN-100 FAILURE

- Simeon Thomas-Wilson

Port Adelaide star Ollie Wines says he may have to have off-season surgery on his heart again, after the previous procedure did not work despite a 99 per cent success rate.

The Brownlow Medallist had surgery last year to fix a heart irregularity that first flared up in 2022.

But while Wines thought it had stopped the issue for good, it reared its head against Sydney in April and for the third time he was subbed out of a match because of the heart irregularity.

The 30-year-old said the issue was now fine as he was back on an “intervention plan” and post season he would discuss whether he needs to have surgery again.

Ollie Wines could be set for more heart surgery. Picture: Getty Images

“It has been really good, I had a procedure back in December and there was a one per cent chance that it wouldn’t work and unfortunately I am in the one per cent that it hasn’t worked for,” he said.

“So we have gone back to a bit of an intervention plan that we had previously done for two years to manage it prior to the operation and that is working well so far and we will reassess at the end of the year as to whether we do it again when it comes to a surgical operation.

“It would probably be the exact same, there is a 99 per cent success rate usually and unfortunately I was in the one per cent.

“It was frustrating but at the end of the day luckily for me it is not life threatening

I am in a really fortunate position and have the best cardiologists and doctors around me.

“At the moment this plan has previously worked, I’ve never had an episode on the drug intervention and at the end of the season we will assess if I need a procedure again.”

Instead Wines’ focus is on helping the Power turn its season around after its mid-season bye.

Wines said the break allowed the Power players to freshen up but also have a mid-season review around why its game plan wasn’t working so far in 2025.

“We’ve had a good look, particularly after the Fremantle game,” he said.

“We have treated it as a bit of a mid-season review, seeing where things have gone wrong and where we have to make corrections to get back to our best.

“I don’t think they are wholesale changes to our game plan. they are more individual fixes that we have to do ourselves to be in games and mentally play games out.

“Whether that is in the contest or defensively be a little bit quicker.

Wines doesn’t think huge change is required at Port. Picture: Michael Klein

“They aren’t major things but when the majority of the group isn’t doing it, it adds up pretty quick.”

The Power’s season resumes with a trip to Canberra to take on GWS on Saturday night.

Boom recruit Jack Lukosius is still around two weeks away as he deals with a back issue following his return to training.

Lukosius’ knee is fully healed after he fractured his kneecap just minutes into the Round 2 win over Richmond at Adelaide Oval.