INJURED Greater Western Sydney recruit Brett Deledio concedes he is unlikely to be fit for the clash with his former side Richmond at the MCG in round 18.
However, he hopes to be playing NEAFL by that time.
Deledio has yet to feature for the Giants. He played 11 matches in his final season with the Tigers in 2016 and was traded for first and third-round selections that will materialise at this year's NAB AFL Draft.
The 30-year-old has been ravaged by problems with his right calf, although his latest setback earlier this month was to his 'good' left calf.
"Ideally, I'd love to be back by round 18 to play the Tiges at the MCG, but I don't think that will be the case," Deledio told ABC Radio on Friday.
"Hopefully (I'll be) back ready for selection by that week and then can play ones or twos."
Reports suggesting the dual best and fairest winner might miss all of 2017 were overblown according to Deledio, but he admitted the prospect crossed his mind.
"I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought 'maybe I won't get to play this year, and maybe it's worth just resting and living a normal life for the next six months'," Deledio said.
"(But) I get too antsy. I need to be out there training and I'd be really disappointed if I didn't give it every shot to play in finals and hopefully play in a Grand Final."
The Giants have changed the way they have approached the calf problem and Deledio was confident about the results he had seen.
"We're narrowing it down to almost being a bit back-related, just by the way the strains have come on," he said.
"We do a lot of dry needling in both calves and lower back, and then spending a lot of time in the sand and strengthening up the muscles around my feet, ankles and all the way up my calves, and making my glutes really strong, which will hopefully help me in the long-run."
The 2004 draft's top pick has played 243 matches to date. He had never played fewer than 18 games in a season until 2016.
Deledio conceded falling into a mindset of expecting the worst outcome.
"I said this to my mum and she was disappointed I said it – I was almost expecting to have, once my right one (calf) became good, I was just waiting for the left one (to be injured)," Deledio said.
The veteran signed a three-year deal when he joined GWS, meaning his contract will expire at the end of 2019.
He has considered the possibility it could plague him for the rest of his career.
"I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought about that but I'm really confident that I've given up almost 12 months now, since I first hurt it back at Richmond, and by not playing I get another year on the end. That's my positive, glass half-full look on things," Deledio said
