Richmond will rest Dion Prestia for Saturday’s AFL clash with Gold Coast after his troublesome knee flared up again.
Prestia had been due to face his former side for the first time but will be held back from the Metricon Stadium fixture with lower-leg soreness.
The classy on-baller has had a largely uninterrupted season after struggling with knee issues during his final two years with the Suns.
“He just got through last week and was probably touch and go but with a six-day break, he won’t get up for this week,” coach Damien Hardwick said on Thursday.
“It’s a combination of (knee) and calf – once one starts, the other one starts to flare up a little bit. He was probably due to have a break at some stage.
“He’s just too important a player for us to risk on a six-day break on a surface that’s gone from very wet to very hard.
“We’ll put him on ice and he’ll get back for the Hawthorn game.”
Hardwick said Suns maestro Gary Ablett would still face plenty of attention despite losing his prime tagging candidate in Prestia.
The Tigers will also welcome back half-back flanker Bachar Houli if he passes through Thursday’s training session unscathed.
Houli served a four-week suspension for knocking out Carlton’s Jed Lamb in an incident which came under huge media scrutiny.
The AFL tribunal originally banned Houli for just two games but that was doubled on appeal.
Houli became a father during his time out but still found time for regular match simulation, with Hardwick confident he will return focused and ready.
“It’s out of character for Bachar, we all know that,” Hardwick said.
“He’s really disappointed with his actions and would be the first to put up his hand to accept that but we move on pretty quickly.
“Bachar’s got a steely resolve about the way he plays his football so he’ll get back to his best and get back pretty quickly, I would imagine.”
The Tigers were dealt a major injury blow when ruck-forward Ben Griffiths dislocated his shoulder in his second game back in the VFL after a lengthy concussion layoff.
With Griffiths not requiring surgery, Hardwick expected the 25-year-old to be available in two to four weeks.
