PORT Adelaide midfielder David Rodan could be playing in a month but admits he feared he would require another season-ending knee reconstruction when his rebuilt right knee twisted awkwardly in a tackle in round seven.

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Following the incident early in the third quarter of the Power's 32-point loss to the Hawks, Rodan collapsed to the ground, clutching his knee in agony.

A replay of the incident showed the 27-year-old's knee being trapped under Lance Franklin's weight, prompting concerns he'd ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament.

The unlucky onballer had already endured three knee reconstructions.

He had his right knee reconstructed with the traditional method after rupturing his ACL in a pre-season game for Richmond in 2005, and had LARS surgery when he injured his left knee in another pre-season mishap with the Power in late 2009.

Rodan was forced to have the controversial procedure again last November when scans revealed the original synthetic ligament had failed.

He was inconsolable on the interchange bench in the final quarter of the game against Hawthorn, and said he was already preparing mentally for a fourth reconstruction.

"It's human nature to think the worst-case scenario straight away. I've done three [ACLs] and that's what I thought [I'd done] straight away," Rodan said on Tuesday.

"I didn’t think my career was over, but I was initially thinking I'd miss the rest of the season. Straight after that, [I started thinking about] the hard work that goes with it [a knee reconstruction] to come back and try and perform the following year.

"I knew it was a long way back. Fortunately, for me it didn't go that way."

Rodan received a rare piece of good news from his surgeon, with an arthroscope the next day revealing the graft in his right knee was intact.

The surgeon removed the 50 per cent of medial cartilage that had torn away, and told the Fijian-born midfielder he could be back playing in a month.

"When I woke up from surgery and they told me it wasn't an ACL I was pretty happy because I think I'd conceded it was my ACL and was shattered already," he said.

"I was pretty happy to do a 4-6 week injury - a normal injury - and not a long-term one."

Rodan is hopeful of a round 11 return, but is more likely to be available for selection after Port Adelaide's bye in round 12.

The former Tiger is renowned for his ability to dodge and weave through traffic on the field and conceded his style of play might be contributing to his recurring knee injuries.

"I've only done four injuries and they've all been knees, so I guess there would be something in that," he said.

"I guess a lot of my game is agility, trying to get around people and those sorts of things, so it puts a lot of stress on my knees."

Jay Schulz (hamstring), Paul Stewart (shoulder) and Jason Davenport (foot) have joined Rodan on the injury list, and wont play against Fremantle at AAMI Stadium on Saturday.

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First-year defenders Jasper Pittard and Cam O'Shea, who both missed the clash with the Sydney Swans last weekend, should be recalled this week.

Former first-round draft pick John Butcher has been mentioned as a possible replacement for Schulz, but the club could also call upon veteran Chad Cornes to fill the void in attack.

Coach Matthew Primus might also look to young ruckman Matthew Lobbe to help combat Freo's All-Australian big man Aaron Sandilands.

Katrina Gill covers Port Adelaide news for afl.com.au. Follow her on Twitter: @AFL_KatrinaGill