Scans confirmed the 32-year-old strained his calf in the opening moments of his team’s final pre-season match against Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium on Friday.
St Kilda football manager Greg Hutchison said the strain was likely to keep the Saints’ most reliable stopper sidelined for up to four weeks.
“He was scanned and it just showed what we thought on the night,” Hutchison said.
“It just showed a calf strain and he’s going to be out for four weeks. It’s disappointing for him; he’s been an important player for us and still is an important player.”
With St Kilda making a preliminary final last season, hopes are high at Moorabbin that the club can go at least one step further in 2009.
Hudghton is a key figure in those plans and coach Ross Lyon will be hoping his stalwart’s body remains injury-free once he returns.
Age has yet to catch up with the unfashionable full-back. Hudghton has previously suffered from calf injuries and Hutchison said Friday’s injury occurred innocuously.
“It was particularly disappointing for it to happen so early in the game … and there wasn’t much involved in it,” he said.
“He wasn’t even really sprinting. He’d sort of just taken off.
“The ball had come out of the centre bounce for the first time and it was in a run with [Warren] Tredrea towards the footy and he just pulled up short.
“But he recovers pretty well, so all things being equal he’ll be back around round three.”
Dream Team watch – St Kilda defender Max Hudghton is rated a $189,700 defender in Toyota AFL Dream Team 2009.
