Updated February 29, 2012 18:29:40
The long-awaited return of Fremantle midfielder Anthony Morabito will be delayed by at least three more weeks after the 20-year-old injured his quadriceps at training.
Morabito missed all of last season with a knee injury, but was on track to return to AFL ranks in round one this year after completing a lengthy rehabilitation process.
But the explosive winger will start the year in the WAFL after his slight squad strain ruled out any prospect of him competing in the preseason competition.
"It won't hinder him too much," coach Ross Lyon said on Wednesday.
"It's a little bit of a frustration but ... it's only going to push him back a couple of weeks.
"We could have drip fed him into the NAB Cup for a half, but it'll be 70 weeks without playing football, so he'll play WAFL.
"He'll need a few weeks in the WAFL to get acclimatised to playing footy again and to get him ready for the AFL."
Morabito was a revelation in his rookie year of 2010, playing 23 of a possible 24 games before injuring his knee at preseason training in December that year.
Lyon was coach of St Kilda when Morabito made his debut, and said he had been impressed by the instant impact the number four pick from the 2009 national draft was able to have.
"He was explosive with the ball, a game breaker in a sense, but he was also a young player," he said.
"Without the ball, we knew he was a little bit vulnerable but, with the ball, he was really dangerous.
"He's like a young Adam Goodes really. He's growing into his body. He's that sort of athlete."
Fellow midfielder David Mundy is also expected to miss the season opener against Geelong in Perth on March 31 due to a slower-than-expected recovery from an ankle injury.
Fremantle, which beat Essendon but lost to West Coast in the opening round of the preseason competition, faces off against Richmond at Subiaco on Sunday.
Lyon said skipper Matthew Pavlich, ruckman Aaron Sandilands, defender Luke McPharlin and Jonathon Griffin were only likely to play half a game, while midfielder Michael Barlow was on track to return in the coming weeks after overcoming recent soreness in the leg he broke 18 months ago.
AAP
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australia First posted February 29, 2012 18:29:40
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