Port Adelaide star Sam Powell-Pepper is set for an opening round return after missing most of last season due to a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.
The Ballardong and Whadjuk Noongar man injured his knee in a marking contest during the Power's clash against St Kilda in late April and was sent for season-ending surgery the following week.
But the talented utility is on the comeback trail with Port Adelaide's Head of High Performance Stuart Graham stating that he was in the final stages of his recovery.
"He's at the very end stage now," Graham told Port Adelaide Media.
"He's ticked off all the functional testing that we get done externally for him.
"He's ready, he's just got the final stages now, going back into match play."
The 27-year-old will be a strong inclusion for the Power, who missed his creativity and physicality in the attacking half of the ground last season.
In 2023, Powell-Pepper featured in all 25 games, kicking 31 goals and finishing sixth in the club's best-and-fairest.
He participated in the club's match simulation activities during Friday's training session at Alberton Oval, spending most of the session on the wing.
"You'd see him out there with the pink (non-contact) hat, that's just precautionary stuff," Graham said.
"I think he's one week away from dropping that and going into full match play minutes, so he's super excited.
"He's such a footballer – with his conditioning and that side of things, he attacks it, but he loves being on field and going for it, and he's ready."
Despite recovering from a serious knee injury, Powell-Pepper was rewarded with a four-year contract extension in August last year, which will see him tied to the club until at least the end of the 2029 season.
He recently told The Advertiser that he draws inspiration from Power champion and close friend Robbie Gray.
Gray suffered the same injury during his career and managed to return a better player, claiming three Port Adelaide Club Champion awards.
"You can come back and still have a really good career," Powell-Pepper told The Advertiser.
"Ever since I did it, I've been telling everyone 'I'll be back round 1 – watch out 2025 is my year'."
Powell-Pepper is entering his ninth season at the club and has played 142 games since making his debut in 2017.
He also had some exciting personal news to share last week with the announcement that he and his partner Brya are expecting their third child later this year.
The newly-wed couple are already parents to daughters Frankie, aged 3, and Billie, 17 months.
