THE WESTERN Bulldogs are unsure if forward Jake Stringer will be available for next Friday's clash with Hawthorn at Etihad Stadium after he suffered a hamstring injury in the first quarter of Saturday afternoon's loss to Port Adelaide in Ballarat.

Stringer came straight off the field and went down the race after hurting himself. He came back out soon afterwards and tried a few run-throughs along the boundary before having ice applied to the injured muscle.

It was the same hamstring that forced the premiership Bulldog to miss three games earlier this month, with Stringer having made his return last week against Greater Western Sydney.

Dogs coach Luke Beveridge said the absence of Stringer didn't cost his side the game. "We haven't really recovered that well when we've lost a player early in games. We should be able to cover that but I don't think it had a huge effect on the game, but at his best, he's a pretty handy player," Beveridge said.

The Dogs led by seven points at the last change before Port kicked six last-quarter goals to win by 17 points.

The Power suffered an early injury of their own with youngster Dan Houston hurting his right shoulder and leaving the field before quarter time. Houston returned to the field in the second quarter.