Hinkley looks for answers on Gray

Robbie Gray at Port Adelaide training. Picture: Sarah Reed. Source: The Advertiser

PORT Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley tonight will learn how far away specialist forward Robbie Gray is from his much-awaited return to AFL football.

But no matter how sound Gray looks on his rebuilt knee in tonight's SANFL trial game with West Adelaide, Hinkley will not waver from the plan to be conservative with a player the Power needs to keep sound this season.

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"It's an open-ended (return)," Hinkley said yesterday of his valued pinch-hitting midfielder who needed knee surgery in late April.

"It is not something we are worried about," Hinkley said on the question of setting a comeback date.

"It's about ticking off the boxes to make sure Robbie starts to build for competitive football.

"I'd love nothing better than it to be as soon as it possibly can, but we'll see a glimpse on Saturday night on how far away that might be.

"He'll play a half this week and hopefully a bit longer next week and we'll progress from there.

"He is still in that rehab phase. We're just getting him ready and the best chance to be available for AFL football when his knee is ready to go. That is the important thing.

"And it is not far away. It is definitely not going to be far away for Robbie because he has moved really well for seven weeks on the training track."

At AFL level, the Power today will have two key pieces of its attack step up their claims for a place in the premiership season's opening 22 - Essendon recruit Angus Monfries and highly rated key forward John Butcher.

Each will play a half against AFL premier Sydney at AAMI Stadium.

Monfries is resuming from a hamstring strain suffered in Port's NAB Cup openers and Butcher is back in action after double hip surgery in August.

"Angus comes back at an ideal time, really," Hinkley said. "We'll get half a game into him this week and get him ready for round one (against Melbourne on the MCG on March 31).

"We're really confident.

"Butcher will be a bit like Monfries. We thought it was important John get a taste for the (AFL) level and give himself the chance to be available for round one. He's really excited. He's had a long lay-off but he's been training and playing (SANFL trials) for a little while now, so it is now a matter of stepping him up."

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