Richmond footy boss Neil Balme is confident star midfielder Kane Lambert will be fit for Thursday night’s Qualifying Final showdown against Hawthorn.
Lambert hasn’t played since Round 21 after having surgery on his ankle to repair a partial syndesmosis sprain.
Balme says he would be surprised if Lambert doesn’t come up after getting through training today.
“He’s good, he trained quite well today so I would be very surprised if anything happens to him that stops him from playing,” Balme told SEN’s KB and The Doc.
“We’ve been fairly confident, he missed two games but he’s played every other game and he’s in pretty good shape.
“I’d be surprised if he’s not fine.
“He’s been pretty comfortable over the last week and a half or so.”
The 26-year-old’s return will be a huge boost for the reigning premiers as they look to advance to their second consecutive Preliminary Final at the expense of the Hawks.
Over 95,000 fans are expected to pack out the MCG for the blockbuster clash.
Listen to Neil Balme's chat on SEN's KB and The Doc with Kevin Bartlett and Dr Turf in the player below