Port Adelaide Power coach Ken Hinkley takes full blame as injury woes pile up

Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley took full responsibility for playing an injured Connor Rozee in the Power 30-point loss to Adelaide Crows on Thursday, May 2. The Power and the Crows clashed in the fierce South Australian derby that ended in a 78-48 defeat for Hinkley's side.

The game also saw Port Adelaide lose skipper Rozee to a recurring hamstring injury. The 24-year-old picked up the hamstring in his side's Round 7 tie against St Kilda but was listed to face the Crows after passing a late fitness test.

However, the Power captain went down during the third quarter of the epic Showdown clash after experiencing pain and was subbed out in the fourth quarter.

Speaking after the game, coach Hinkley admitted he made a big mistake playing Rozee, stating that the midfielder was not fully fit to be deployed against the Crows. He said (via Wide World of Sports):

"Yeah I made a mistake playing Connor Rozee tonight. That was clear, it was obvious."

"All the testing we'd done, all the medical support we could get, all the information... I'd seen it with my own eyes, Connor was able to run and kick as long as he needed to. Once fatigue set in tonight, it was clear (he wasn't ready to play)."

The Power coach acknowledged the decision to play Rozee was his call and he owned up to his mistake:

"Yep, my call. I can try hide behind it, but I'm not a coward when it comes to owning a mistake," he added.

Rozee will likely miss Port Adelaide's next game against league leaders Geelong scheduled for May 10.

How many players are on Port Adelaide's injury list?

Port Adelaide currently has as many as nine players on their injury list following Connor Rozee's hamstring against Adelaide on Thursday

Defender Aliir Aliir is still undergoing observation for a concussion, Sam Powell-Pepper is out for the season with an ACL, while Hugh Jackson is out with a hip injury.

Ivan Soldo (knee), Tom McCallum (ankle), Ollie Lord (knee), Trent McKenzie, and Quinton Narkle (foot) are also sidelined for the Power.