JASPER Pittard has flown to Darwin as part of the Port Adelaide squad ahead of Saturday night’s match against Melbourne at TIO Stadium.

Pittard debuted in Round 1 last year after being drafted from the Geelong Falcons with pick 16 in the 2009 National Draft.

He showed huge promise as a running half-back after a season that saw him poll seventh in Port Adelaide’s best and fairest despite playing just 13 games.

He missed nine weeks of 2011 with a hamstring injury and is billed as staple of the Power’s future defensive structure.

His first return to competitive football came in SANFL at Sturt where he reinjured the same hamstring and was forced back into rehabilitation.

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On the back of several weeks of consistent football for Sturt at league and reserves level, Pittard has his best chance to play AFL for the first time this season against the Demons.

Port Adelaide’s football development manager Daniel Healy has been pleased with Pittard’s approach to the long rehabilitation and says he should be rewarded with AFL game time.

“It’s been a disappointing and difficult situation for him with repeat hamstrings,” Healy told PortAdelaideFC.com.au.

“But his attitude has been outstanding.”

“It was always about him getting his body right and getting five really good weeks together after a long rehab process.

“He’s handled it really well and if we can get six or seven games out of him at AFL level it will be some consolation for him.”

“We were really confident that he could play last week and he was listed as an emergency; it was unlucky to be chosen for the final team.”

Port Adelaide’s final team to play Melbourne will be announced first on PortAdelaideFC.com.au on Thursday evening at 6.00pm (CST).