Sydney coach John Longmire says Josh Kennedy will do everything in his power to play again this year after the veteran was ruled out for eight to 10 weeks with a serious hamstring injury.
Kennedy tore his right hamstring while attempting a clumsy spoil as Sam Docherty went for a mark in Carlton's 15-point win on Friday night.
Kennedy also received a one-match ban after collecting Docherty high, with the incident sparking a melee.
Although Kennedy won't require surgery he is no certainty to play again this year.
The Swans predict Kennedy will need up to 10 weeks to fully recover, but any setback could rule him out for the rest of the season.
Kennedy turns 34 next month, and 2022 could be his final campaign.
Longmire is hopeful the 289-game veteran can return in the latter stages of the home-and-away season.
"Unfortunately he's got a bit of tendon damage. I'm sure he'll do whatever he can to get back and play," Longmire said.
"He's going to still concentrate on rehabbing himself and getting himself right, which he needs to do, and then look towards the back end of the year,.
"In the meantime, he's going to help us out in the coaching and leadership space. He's a fantastic asset around the footy club."
Kennedy has made a name for himself as one of the AFL's most durable players during his 15-year career.
Since moving to Sydney from Hawthorn at the end of 2009, Kennedy has played 19 or more games in every season apart from the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign, when he was restricted to 12 matches due to a knee injury.
The Swans will welcome back midfielder James Rowbottom for Friday night's crucial match against red-hot Richmond at the SCG.
Sydney (6-4) have lost three of their past four matches to slip to seventh, while RIchmond (6-4) have rocketed to eighth through a four-match winning streak.
The Tigers will be without star forward Tom Lynch (hamstring) and Kane Lambert (hip).
Longmire said lapses at vital times were the main culprit for the Swans' poor record over the past month.
"Over the last month we're equal fifth for quarters won, but we've given parts of the game up to the opposition that's proved costly for us," he said.
"On the weekend it was our second quarter that was really costly, we had nine goals kicked against us.
"We didn't wrestle the momentum back quickly enough."
