Gold Coast might be down a player for next Friday night’s contest against Port Adelaide, with young tall Ethan Read aggravating an existing problem with the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

Coach Damien Hardwick said he was hopeful the 20-year-old would be able to battle on, but was unsure of his immediate playing prospects.

“He probably needs a rest,” Hardwick said.

“We were hoping to get him through to the (mid-season) bye, but we’ll look at that during the week and make an assessment.

“We just love what this kid brings.

“What we’re buying by playing Ethan Read is wins. I think he’s got a 60 per cent win/loss record when he’s in the side.

“People look at stats. Stats to me are irrelevant as long as you’re winning footy games.”

Brownlow medallist Matt Rowell trained well on Saturday and is “probable” to face Port Adelaide after missing two matches with an ankle problem.

Hardwick was delighted with his team’s ability to overcome a 25-point deficit and run out 29-point winners.

“Our club probably hasn’t done that (too often) …. I think we’ve grown in that space, the ability to understand we’ve just got to grind sides down.

“We don’t have to make up the difference in a quarter. It’d be nice, but we can sit there and just work into the game, and I think that’s the sign of a club that’s maturing.

“We don’t need to be playing our best footy now, but we’ve got a lot of growth in front of us, I think.”