PORT Adelaide midfielder Hamish Hartlett is in double-trouble for the finals after the Power pipped Gold Coast by 17 points on Saturday.
Hartlett knocked out Gold Coast's Sep Tape with a brutal bump and also suffered an apparent serious shoulder injury in Port's 16.17 (113) to 14.12 (96) victory.
The key Power onballer was helped from AAMI Stadium in the final term clutching his left shoulder - the same body joint which knocked Tape out in a second quarter shepherd.
Hartlett's crunching bump will be scrutinised by the Match Review Panel after Port moved closer to a return to the finals by banking its 12th win of the season.
The Power remain eighth, two wins ahead of ninth-placed Carlton with two games remaining before finals.
Port was nine points down at three-quarter time but young gun Chad Wingard booted two goals in 90 seconds to take back the lead.
The Power kicked six goals to two in the last term to over-run a tiring SUNS outfit but Hartlett's season could be over - through injury, suspension, or both.
Hartlett caught an unsuspecting Tape with a shepherd which instantly knocked the Gold Coast player out in the 14th minute of the second term.
The Port star indicated there was a clash of heads but replays showed head-high contact with his shoulder.
Coach Ken Hinkley had no issue with the hit.
"Yes, it was a really strong bump, 'Sebby' Tape is a brave young fella, it may have been the collision on the ground that caused most of the problem ... Hamish has clearly had a knock to the back of his head too," Hinkley said.
"In the spirit of the game I think he was there to be shepherded ... the bump, from what I saw, was a pretty fair bump."
Hartlett's game ended when he hurt the same shoulder when tackled by two SUNS players. The 23-year-old has already had shoulders reconstructed twice.
The spotlight on Hartlett came after Port produced its highest-scoring opening quarter of the season, kicking 7.5 to 3.5.
The Power then seemingly went out as Gold Coast rallied, the visitors taking the lead in the third term of a match watched in part by campaigning Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
But the SUNS, who were inspired by a brilliant 28-possession, three-goal game by Harley Bennell, were headed early in the last when the 20-year-old Wingard confirmed his growing status as a player for a crisis.
Wingard booted two rapid last term goals before captain Travis Boak later capped his best-afield 35-disposal display by sealing the result with his third goal.
Port's Kane Cornes shaded SUNS superstar Gary Ablett, whose 22 disposals had limited impact, while Gold Coast forward Andrew Boston potted three goals.
Gold Coast coach Guy McKenna said his side's performance proved it wasn't far from being able to challenge for a finals berth.
"Hopefully out of today the boys understand how close they are ... to finish three shots off beating a finals side I think it shows us how far we've come," McKenna said.
"We're defending the ball better, we're kicking a bigger score, all those sorts ofthings are slowly turning."
PORT ADELAIDE 7.5 8.9 10.13 16.17 (113)
GOLD COAST SUNS 3.5 6.8 12.10 14.12 (96)
GOALS
Port Adelaide: Boak, Schulz 3, Westhoff, Wingard, Heath 2, Ebert, Young, Moore, Cornes
Gold Coast SUNS: Boston, Bennell 3, Stanley 2, Dixon, Gorringe, Hall, Hutchins, O'Meara, Sumner
BEST
Port Adelaide: Boak, Ebert, Broadbent, Monfries, Gray, Cornes
Gold Coast SUNS: Bennell, Stanley, Gorringe, Ablett, Prestia, O'Meara
INJURIES
Port Adelaide: Colquhoun (back tightness) replaced in selected side by Aaron Young, Hitchcock (hamstring), Hartlett (shoulder)
Gold Coast SUNS: Tape (concussion)
SUBSTITUTES
Port Adelaide: Oliver Wines replaced Cameron Hitchcock at quarter time
Gold Coast SUNS: Jackson Allen replaced Seb Tape in the second quarter
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Dalgelish, Leppard, Meredith
Official crowd: 18,703 at AAMI Stadium
