Richmond small-forward Shane Edwards has been cleared of major damage to his shoulder following his early exit from last night’s NAB Challenge match against Port Adelaide at Etihad Stadium.
Edwards left the game in the first quarter after hurting his shoulder, but the injury is not as severe as first thought.
X-rays last night revealed no fractures, and further scans on Friday morning indicate the 27-year-old suffered severe bruising and some nerve swelling to his left shoulder.
“Shane should recover quickly from the bruising, we’ll assess it further early next week, but at this stage we’re confident his preparation for Round 1 won’t be interrupted,” Richmond’s General Manager of Football, Dan Richardson said.
The news for defender, Reece Conca wasn’t as positive with scans revealing a strain to his right hamstring.
While no surgery is required, the 23-year-old will be on the sidelines for at least eight weeks.
“It’s disappointing for Reece, he’s had a great pre-season thus far, but we’ll go through a thorough rehab process with him, and look forward to him making a contribution for us later in the season,” Richardson said.
Midfielder, Shaun Grigg has fractured his left thumb and at this stage is expected to miss 3-4 weeks of the season.
As expected, new recruit, Jacob Townsend was concussed after hitting his head in a tackling contest in the third quarter of last night’s match, but is expected to recover fully and be available for selection in Round 1.