RICHMOND star Dion Prestia looks set to miss the start of the season after suffering a hamstring injury.
Prestia is expected to be sidelined for 3-4 weeks with the soft tissue strain, making him an unlikely starter for the Tigers’ AFL season-opener next month.
Richmond is set to unfurl two premiership flags against Carlton at the MCG on March 18 in a match likely to be the first in Melbourne with fans since the 2019 Grand Final.
While many sides have been hit by injuries in a condensed pre-season, the Tigers had enjoyed a charmed run over summer.
But Damien Hardwick and co. will most likely have to make do without Prestia – the club’s 2019 best and fairest winner - for the season start.
It’s a frustrating setback for Prestia, whose 2019 campaign was hit by a syndesmosis injury that sidelined him for three months.
Yet he returned for Richmond’s finals campaign, playing all four finals and kicking two goals in the Grand Final against Geelong to claim his third premiership medal.