Brett Deledio in frame for Tigers return by: Sam Edmund
From: Herald Sun
March 01, 2012 BRETT Deledio has set his sights on a return in the third round of the NAB Cup as he steps up his recovery from a hamstring injury.
Deledio sent a scare through the Richmond camp when he limped from the field during an intra-club match at Whitten Oval three weeks ago.
But the Tigers playmaker was yesterday confident he could manage at least one hitout before the Round 1 clash against Carlton on March 29.
"It's coming along really well. The hamstring is feeling a lot better than what it was and it's not sore or anything like that," Deledio said.
"I'm running every second day, pretty much. I'm hoping to be right by NAB three, if not NAB four. The fitness staff are going to take a pretty cautious approach, though.
"I've got complete belief in them that they'll get me right and, touch wood, it will all be fine."
Deledio, 24, admitted he was shocked by the injury -- his first muscle tear.
"I was filthy, to be honest," he said.
"I've never done anything soft-tissue before so I was in the dark and wasn't sure what was going on.
"It was one of those things that just happened. But I'm in rehab now and enjoying hanging out with Kel Moore and David Astbury, I suppose."
Richmond, which plays the Cats at Geelong in the NAB Cup third round, has a daunting start to the season proper, facing last year's finalists Carlton, Collingwood, Geelong and West Coast in the first five weeks.
But Deledio said two years under coach Damien Hardwick had the Tigers well placed for an assault on the top eight.
"We've got a lot of experience into young kids the last two years and that experience can only help," he said.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/brett-deledio-in-frame-for-tigers-return/story-e6frf9jf-1226285572540
