ST KILDA defender Nathan Wright is confident he will be able to resume full training early next year after missing the team's training camp in Colorado with shin soreness.
Wright, who is entering his second season, had been booked in for the Saints' high-altitude training camp until his shin issues were discovered three days before the players departed.
As a result he is training at the club's Seaford base with rehab players James Gwilt (knee), Tom Simpkin (leg), Rhys Stanley (collarbone) and Dylan Roberton (ankle).
The majority of the St Kilda squad, meanwhile, as well as new coach Alan Richardson, are based at Colorado University for the club's 15-day training camp.
"For my sake it was better to stay back and do my rehab here, rather than go over there and do all the hikes and maybe make it worse," Wright told AFL.com.au.
"The idea was to get it right now and rest up so when the boys come back after Christmas I can join in with them and get stuck into it.
"It's obviously a small thing, but we just wanted to knock it off before it became something more serious."
Wright is restricted to swimming, bike and circuit training but he will be able to complete some running over the Christmas break before joining full training when the players return in the new year.
He said he was aiming to make the most of the next two weeks so he was not disadvantaged when the full squad returned.
"We're all in every day except for the weekend and we're training pretty hard. The mood's good," he said.
"We look at this as an opportunity to get fit and hopefully when the other boys get back we can match it with them.
"We've got … a sports scientist and a weights coach with us a and they're pretty much doing our programs.
"I'm just trying to utilise the two weeks."
Wright, who was recruited with pick No.24 in the 2012 NAB AFL Draft, played eight games in his debut season, impressing as a small defender capable of playing lockdown roles or rebounding off half-back.
Nathan Wright grimaces after injuring his jaw against the Blues last season. Picture: AFL Media
The 19-year-old suffered a broken jaw against Carlton in round seven, which robbed him of momentum, but he was able to build strong VFL form towards the end of the year.
"It was all good experience and I really developed my footy," he said.
"If you'd told me at the start of the year I was going to play eight games I would have been rapt.
"Towards the end of the year I think I really hit some form and I just want to carry that through the off-season.
"All in all I was pretty happy, but there are always areas you can work on."
