Written by Megan Taylor, sports reporter covering international sports since 2020
Sam Powell-Pepper injury recovery has forced Port Adelaide Power to rule the veteran out for the rest of the AFL season as he continues his comeback from another knee reconstruction.
The 28-year-old last played an AFL match on July 5 last year and had only returned through the state league a fortnight ago after a second anterior cruciate ligament tear.
The call comes during a tough late-season stretch across the league, with Jake Stringer’s form for Greater Western Sydney Giants another major AFL storyline.
Port Adelaide Take Decision Away
Port Adelaide Power coach Josh Carr said the club had decided the smartest move was to stop Powell-Pepper’s return bid and prepare him for pre-season training.
"It's more the mental side of it, especially for Pep right now," Power coach Josh Carr told reporters on Friday.
"Everyone knows what Pep is like: he wants to be out there.
"But he wants at his best to do that and just doesn't feel quite right. And we totally get it."
Powell-Pepper has now had both knees reconstructed, with his latest return attempt made harder by winter state league conditions.
Pre-Season Now The Target
The 158-game midfielder-forward has been one of Port Adelaide Power’s hardest competitors, but Carr said the club understood why the comeback did not feel right.
"We totally understand where it sits with him right now," Carr said.
"The middle of winter, the (state league) ovals aren't great, he hasn't done a pre-season in a while - so we have taken it out of his hands.
"We think the best thing for him is to get through the rest of this year and then attack the pre-season ... he's really comfortable with that."
Official AFL fixtures and club news are available through the Australian Football League.
