Jack Riewoldt set to return to training this week in bid to face Geelong on SaturdayRUSSELL GOULD,
Herald Sun
August 6, 2017 INJURED spearhead Jack Riewoldt is expected to be back training on Monday in preparation for next week’s blockbuster clash with Geelong.
Richmond assistant coach Justin Leppitsch put to bed any suggestion the Tiger forward’s eye injury was worse than the club was letting on.
Riewoldt missed the win over the Gold Coast last week and was also ruled out of today’s clash with Hawthorn after needing stitches to the white of his eye following a training accident.
Leppitsch conceded Riewoldt had been limited in his ability to train because of the nature of the injury and couldn’t run much to avoid too much movement of his eye.
But should he be able to get enough work in this week, Leppitsch expects Riewoldt to run out against the Cats at Skilled Stadium on Saturday.
“He just didn’t quite make it unfortunately and it’s one of those things if you have to go back for a second operation it could be even longer again. We were very mindful of not getting it wrong the first time. We had to be very cautious,” Leppitsch said.
“He wasn’t able to do a lot because of the shaking motion. He’ll start to pick up his work rate up as of Monday and we’re very confident if he can get a full week of training in, then he’ll play.”
Riewoldt was so desperate to play today that he tried to visit three eye specialists on Friday in search of the all clear. But he was told to rest.
He said he initially feared the eye had popped out of its socket.
“It was like the last drill on Thursday night training and I went to pick up the ball from the ground when someone came from the other direction, missed the ball and poked me straight in the eye,” Riewoldt said on Fox Footy’s AFL 360.
“My first initial thought was that my eye had popped out.
“So I put my hand over my eye, looked down and had a pool of blood in my palm and half expected to see my eye sitting in my hand.”
Riewoldt, 28, said “a cloudy film of blood” blocked his vision for six hours.
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