Dion Prestia looks set to spend more unwanted time on the sidelines after the vital cog in Richmond's midfield machine was forced to exit Friday night's comprehensive victory over the Eagles in Perth early.
Despite proving able to collect 16 touches and slot a goal during the Tigers' 109-point win in the west, the 29-year-old was forced to sit the entirety of the final term with what has been labelled Achilles and soleus muscle tightness.
While the 2019 club champion was efficiently replaced by Jack Ross as the Punt Roaders continued their procession march, reports fromย The Ageย on Saturday claim that Prestia had reported said soreness to team medical staff during the half-time break.
Since the dawn of Richmond's 2020 campaign, Prestia has only played 23 games in yellow and black with a litany of soft tissue complaints causing the stagnated trifecta of seasons.
Given this inability to stay on the park, the Tigers will await the result of scans on Prestia's lower leg before ruling him in, or out, of the selection frame for Round 8.
Speaking in the wake of his side's rout of West Coast, Damien Hardwick claimed a return date for Prestia was not yet available.
โItโs hard to tell. Weโll obviously get scans and work our way through it,โ Hardwick said.
The triple premiership steward was also effusive in his praise of Prestia's importance to his engine room.
โItโs a really challenging one for us because he is so important to how we play, but we could not take the risk with him getting injured,โ Hardwick added.
Despite the severity of his soreness remaining unknown ahead of Richmond's important date with the Pies next week, the 9th selection from the 2010 draft is sure to be frustrated by this latest speedbump - especially considering the last time he strung four consecutive games together was during Richmond's month-long premiership assault in 2020.
Richmond and Collingwood will write the latest chapter in their storied rivalry when they face off at the MCG next Saturday afternoon.
It is not yet known whether Dustin Martin will be passed fit to return to action and replace Prestia in the centre.
