Orazio Fantasia's season has been derailed by injury again, this time by a short-term quad strain but is still viewed as an important piece in Port Adelaide's puzzle. Image: AFL Photos.

ORAZIO Fantasia's place in the Port Adelaide line-up is derailed by a short-term quad strain, but the long-term view on his importance at Alberton is not flagging against repeat injuries to the prized Essendon recruit.

Fantasia, 26, returned to the injury list on Saturday when his SANFL duty was cut short by the leg-muscle strain felt in the first term of the clash with North Adelaide at Alberton Oval. Scans have confirmed the strain.

Port Adelaide football chief Chris Davies is declaring a commitment with Fantasia who has played one AFL game this season - as the unactivated medical substitute against North Melbourne in Hobart - and 15 last season when he kicked 28.23 in his first year at Alberton.

"We have to have faith," Davies said at Alberton on Monday. "We saw last year that when Orazio is able to get on the park he is really dangerous for us.

"We will keep searching for answers. We will leave no stone unturned to try to get him the right care to get him back playing.

"I know Orazio has a commitment to getting back. The past 36 hours for him have not been great. But I know he has a commitment to start his rehab again and all we can do is provide him with an environment where he can get back to full fitness and get back playing."

16:44

Chris Davies press conference - 30 May 2022 | PTV

Chris Davies speaks to the media at Alberton Oval

Fantasia's quad issues were first noted after the captain's run training session before the away clash with Geelong at Kardinia Park where the small forward was to have been among the match 23.

"We don't have clarity on how long Orazio will be on the sidelines," Davies said, "but he definitely has a strain of his quad. He has a challenge in front of him now to do his rehab again. It is disappointing from the club's perspective and I imagine we will certainly have to take a cautious approach to the way he does his rehab and the way he comes back (to competitive football).

"He had a setback three weeks ago (at training). We thought he was ready to go. This time, it is slightly worse than that. He will be a month away by the time he is able to play at AFL level again - and that will probably need to include some game time at SANFL level.

"He won't have played for a long time by the time he comes back from this injury," added Davies of Fantasia absence from the AFL field where he last featured in a Port Adelaide jumper in the home preliminary final against the Western Bulldogs at Adelaide Oval in September.

"He has had a massively interrupted pre-season. There is no doubt we are going to need to put some load into him before he gets back at SANFL or AFL level.

"It is really disappointing for him."

Fantasia kicked 28 goals last year in his first season at Alberton. Image: AFL Photos.

The latest setback follows Fantasia having multiple rounds of knee surgery in the past nine months. But the cursed injury run - that followed Fantasia from Essendon where he played 80 AFL games in seven seasons from 2014-2020 - is not creating regret in hindsight at list management at Alberton.

"It is concerning (the injury run) because we think that Orazio brings something different to the AFL team than what we have there at the moment," Davies said. "It is important we give him the opportunity to get back.

"If we are to get better as a team, we need more output from that role (of opportunist small forward). Steven Motlop, Robbie Gray - that type of forward is really important to the way we play. It is to our advantage to get Orazio back - and get him back quickly. But we are going to need to be cautious now."

Port Adelaide's long-term injury list today includes young defender Jake Pasini (knee) - and last year's No. 12 draftee Josh Sinn, who - after encouraging signs in the pre-season - has developed an ongoing groin concern.

Sinn made his AFL debut in Port Adelaide's home opener against Hawthorn at Adelaide Oval in round 2 but has not played since .

"We still expect Josh to play some footy at the back end of the year," Davies said. "We are taking a cautious approach to his training.

"Sometimes we forget that those teenagers who were drafted in the past year did not have much footy or the opportunity to train much (during the COVID lockdowns in 2020 and 2021). It is as much about managing his training load and getting him to a point where he can train consistently before we see him play."

Pasini's move to the inactive list opens a mid-season draft pick for Port Adelaide on Wednesday.