A DECISION on whether Daniel Rioli will push for a VFL berth within the next few weeks will be made in the coming days based on how he recovers from accumulated training soreness.

Rioli wants to play in Richmond's Dreamtime at the 'G clash in Round 11 on June 2, but is yet to figure in any competitive match play since breaking his foot in last year's Grand Final.

Rioli's foot, which has had two operations since October, is sound and pain-free, but the premiership forward has been sore throughout his body this week as the result of increased training load.

There's cautious optimism Rioli could play in the VFL within the next fortnight, but how he presents to the club on Wednesday will dictate whether that's a realistic goal.

"We've just got to be a bit careful with him because otherwise you finish up with other things like hamstrings or calves or backs," football manager Neil Balme told AFL.com.au on Tuesday.

"When they do that extra work … he's pulled up not so much sore in the foot but sore everywhere else.

"He's OK, but you never quite know what that means, so if he trains tomorrow he'll be fine.

"If he doesn't train, it might put him back a little bit."

The Tigers have been extremely cautious with Rioli's rehabilitation and remain loathe to set an exact date on his return to avoid putting unnecessary pressure on the 21-year-old.

Richmond is determined to make sure Rioli is in the best shape possible when he returns to the field to avoid him suffering subsequent injuries.

"He's in really good shape and we're really pleased with the way he's going, it's just that we've got to make sure he does enough work," Balme said.

"When he plays he's a very explosive player, it's not as if he plays at half rat power, he goes full bore.

"You've got to give him a chance so he doesn't hurt himself when he plays."