DESPITE sustaining a minor calf tear at Gold Coast training on Monday, Dion Prestia is expected to be fit and firing for round one of the premiership season.

 

Prestia, 21, sent a scare through the Suns camp when he went down clutching his calf, but scans later that day eased their concerns.

 

General manager of football operations Marcus Ashcroft said the newly-elected vice-captain would have a restricted build-up before the Suns' first match of the premiership season on March 15.

 

"The scans revealed a grade one calf strain," Ashcroft said.

 

"As a result we anticipate Dion will be on a modified training program for a couple of weeks and he should be in a position to return to full training before the end of the NAB Challenge."

 

Prestia has set the training track alight in the pre-season, consistently among the team's best runners alongside Jaeger O'Meara, Jeremy Taylor, David Swallow and new draftee Kade Kolodjashnij.

 

The midfielder is coming off a sensational 2013 where he averaged 25 disposals per game and finished second to skipper Gary Ablett in best and fairest voting.

 

Gold Coast plays its first NAB Challenge match against Essendon at Metricon Stadium on February 17.