Port Adelaide superstar Zak Butters has left the ground in the hands of trainers after his right ankle was caught and twisted in a marking contest.
Butters immediately grabbed at his ankle after he landed and looked in serious pain as he was walked off the field.
Speaking after the match, Port Adelaide coach Josh Carr said the club was unsure as to the extent of the injury.
"It didn't look great," Carr said in the post-game press conference.
"To what extent? Syndesmosis? Who knows? It's obviously not looking good. The vision speaks for itself. We will have to wait and see.
"You see the way that he plays he never gives up. Even with (the contest where he got injured), he didn't need to get into that situation but that is just who he is."
To add insult to injury, Power key forward Mitch Georgiades also left the game early after he suffered a concussion during the Round 18 match against St Kilda at Marvel Stadium.
Georgiades was involved in a heavy clash as he and Saints ruck Rowan Marshall collided mid-air inside the Power's attacking 50.
While Marshall recovered, Georgiades rose groggy and immediately went down into the rooms to conduct an HIA, which he failed.
The Power were dominated by the Saints in the first half as both clubs look to stay within reach of the top 10 and an all-important wildcard spot. The visitors then responded with a six-goal third term to bounce back into the contest.
Port Adelaide players were breaking down across the ground with defender Lachie Jones unable to finish the match with a rib injury, while utility Jack Lukosius played on despite clearly being hampered by a leg issue.
Carr explained the 25-year-old is dealing with a Baker's cyst - a fluid-filled build up behind the knee causing a bulge and stiffness in the joint.
"Luko' in the first contest, it looks like the same with what he has done with the Baker's cyst," he said.
"Jonesy' with his ribs, so yeah, it is what it is. The first half we were really poor and pleasing in that second half to play it out like we did."
The concussion to Georgiades and the ankle injury to Butters means the Power will likely be without both stars for their next match against ladder leaders Fremantle at Adelaide Oval next Saturday.
If the Power were to lose to the Dockers, it would nearly rule them out of wildcard contention with only five more games to go.
With Butters likely to return to his native state of Victoria this upcoming off-season, pending on the timeline of his injury, Saturday's match could have been the last Power fans and the league sees of the two-time All-Australian in teal and black.
Georgiades had been well held across the first half, with St Kilda defender Jack Silvagni keeping the star forward to just one possession before he exited the game.
Port Adelaide's gun key forward has had a strong 2026 season to date, kicking 37 goals across 17 games to sit inside the top 10 of the Coleman Medal.
