Luke McGuane’s bid to win a regular spot in the Richmond defence has been curtailed by injury.
The Richmond website reports today that the 21-year-old defender will miss two weeks with a hamstring injury.
It is not considered a serious injury, according to club reports. He’ll definitely miss this weekend’s split round clash with Carlton but with the bye the following weekend he may be available for Round 15.
Still, the injury comes at a most inopportune time for the former Broadbeach blonde.
Richmond have posted back-to-back wins for the first time since late 2006 and, already having surpassed their 2007 record of three wins and a draw, sit 11th on the AFL ladder just one win behind eighth-placed North Melbourne.
And they’ve got three games in a row against bottom eight sides – Carlton, West Coast and Essendon.
McGuane, a third-round draftee in 2004, has played eight of a possible 13 games this year after 14 games last year to take his career tally to 24.
He spent the first three weeks of the season with Coburg in the VFL, played rounds 4-5-6-7-8 in the seniors, was an emergency for round 9, and was recalled for rounds 11-12-13.
With coach Terry Wallace clearly focused on youth the coming months present a perfect opportunity for McGuane to consolidate his spot in the senior side.