Port Adelaide defender Brandon Zerk-Thatcher has suffered an acute lumbar disc injury at pre-season training, ruling the 26-year-old out for the beginning of the Power's 2025 campaign.
Zerk-Thatcher was vital in the Power's preliminary finals run in 2024, playing all 26 games in his first season in teal. The key backman has had a consistent last couple of seasons, with 48 of his 77 AFL appearances coming since the start of the 2023 season.
Beforehand, Zerk-Thatcher was selected for just 12 games at the elite level in 2022, his highest tally prior to that just 10.
The 26-year-old suffered the back complaint on Wednesday and was sent for scans, with the imaging revealed an acute lumbar disc injury.
The club have ruled out Zerk-Thatcher for the pre-season matches upcoming this month, while a timeline for his return during the home and away season will be determined in the coming weeks.
AFL clubland has been smashed with injuries this pre-season, with the Power falling victim to multiple injuries themselves.
Todd Marshall has been ruled out for an extended period after rupturing his Achilles, while Willem Drew is in the midst of a month-long recovery from a minor foot procedure.
The Power take on Adelaide in a scratch match Showdown to begin their pre-season, soon followed by a trip to Victoria to face another injury-depleted club, St Kilda.
