ST KILDA is hopeful veteran Leigh Montagna will play again this season despite scans revealing his hamstring tear is "slightly worse" than a standard three-week injury, coach Alan Richardson says.

Montagna suffered the right hamstring injury in the third quarter of Saturday night's loss to Sydney when he turned to evade a tackle by Swans big man Sam Naismith.

The 33-year-old went to ground clutching his leg as Naismith put pressure on him, before limping off the ground and spending the rest of the game icing his leg. 

Richardson was optimistic Montagna had not played his last game of the year – and possibly his career. 

"Certainly he's done a bit of damage to the hamstring and we're still really hopeful that we'll get him back before the home and away season is done and dusted," Richardson told Fox Footy on Monday night. 

"(It's) probably slightly worse. We would be thinking (he would be out for) possibly around a month. 

"It's a little bit more than we would've hoped and that 'Joey' would've hoped, but there is still an opportunity for him to be back before the end of the year so that's a positive."

Montagna's contract expires at the end of the season, raising questions about whether the hamstring injury could signal the end of his 16-season career.

He has played 287 games for the Saints since debuting in 2002, including all but one game this season.