Hamish Hartlett suffers serious knee injury in major blow to Port Adelaide’s flag chances

PORT Adelaide’s premiership hopes have suffered a major blow with defensive playmaker Hamish Harlett confirmed to have ruputred his anterior cruciate ligament and to be out for the season.

Hamish Hartlett is suspected to have ruptured his ACL.

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PORT Adelaide defender Hamish Hartlett is out for the rest of the AFL season after scans confirmed anterior cruciate ligament damage to his right knee.

Hartlett, who club great Warren Tredrea this week declared had finally come of age as an AFL player after 153 games in 10 seasons, hurt his right knee in a routine training drill at Alberton Oval yesterday.

Scans on Thursday confirmed the 27-year-old has ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament, leaving him facing about 12 months on the sidelines.

Port Adelaide’s Hamish Hartlett gets treatment after he was floored after a head clash against Geelong last week. Picture: James Elsby (AFL Media/Getty Images).

“This is obviously a terrible blow for Hamish and the football club,” Port general manager of football Chris Davies said on Thursday.

“Hamish had started the season well and we saw last weekend (against Geelong) what a courageous and skilful player he is.

“It was an innocuous incident that caused the injury. He went to change direction and his leg gave way beneath him.

“We fear Hamish won’t be back on the field for some time.’’

Hartlett’s sprigs got caught in the Alberton turf and as he went to change direction his knee twisted.

“It was a non-contact, pretty stock standard change of direction type of thing and it hurt a fair bit,’’ Hartlett told Channel 9.

“I didn’t feel very good afterwards, so we’ll wait to see what the go is.’’

Hartlett — the No. 4 draft pick in 2008 from SANFL club West Adelaide and a leadership member at the Power — has a history of injuries but had been enjoying his best season, averaging 19.6 disposals and eight marks and finally looking comfortable at half-back.

“We don’t want anyone to go down but we feel very poorly for Hamish because we just thought that he’d found his spot at half-back and was playing some really good footy and was important for us,’’ chief executive Keith Thomas said.

“Given Hamish has been really trying to establish himself in that new role and with the potential he’s always had, it’s very disappointing.’’

The injury to “Hammer’’ Hartlett, who courageously returned to the field after a heavy head clash with star Cat Patrick Dangerfield in last Saturday night’s 34-point loss at Adelaide Oval, has opened the door for former Demon Dom Barry to return to the 3-2 Power side for Saturday’s clash against North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium.

Speedy forward Aidyn Johnson has been promoted for his first game of the season at the expense of suspended Lindsay Thomas, who will miss what would have been his first game against his former club after his four-match suspension for two separate incidents against Geelong.

The Kangaroos have replaced the concussed Shaun Higgins with last year’s No. 4 draft pick Luke Davies-Uniacke.

Matt Crouch will return against the Gold Coast. Picture: Sarah Reed

ADELAIDE (3-2) has regained club champion midfielder Matt Crouch for tomorrow night’s home clash against Gold Coast after he missed three games with a strained hamstring.

Dashing wingman/half-back David Mackay returns after missing the upset win against Sydney at the SCG following a second concussion in two weeks but vice-captain Rory Sloane (foot) and pocket rocket Eddie Betts (hamstring) will miss a second consecutive game.

Betts expects to be available to play his former club Carlton next week while Sloane won’t be recalled until he is 100 per cent fit after first hurting his foot in round two.

“We've invested time in getting Sloane fully fit,’’ assistant coach Ben Hart said.

Defenders Kyle Hartigan (hamstring) and Jake Kelly (hand) are out injured after being hurt against the Swans.

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