The SUNS are taking a long-term view with first round draftee Ben Ainsworth’s injury.

The small forward suffered a corked quad prior to the round 3 clash against Hawthorn and has been restricted to light duties since.

Senior coach Rodney Eade told the media on Thursday that the injury hadn’t improved, with Ainsworth still “about a month away.”

“He didn’t get his range back. We were worried that it would calcify, which it started to, so we’ve had to just take him off his legs. It’s quite a bad one as far as bleeding.”

A conservative approach has been taken to the first year player’s rehab, with Ainsworth yet to start running again after suffering the injury.

“When he gets back to be able to run, he’ll need another two to three weeks of training.” Eade said.

Ainsworth had showcased some of his potential during the opening two rounds of the season and was in good form when the injury struck.

Eade said that although it was a proving to be a challenging time for Ainsworth, everyone at the Club is making sure he has the necessary support.

“It is frustrating for him. He probably tried to, like with normal corkies, run a little bit earlier and it bled again, so we’ve got to be respectful of the injury but at the same time work with him and give him that support.

“It’s a mental challenge at the moment for him. But it is what it is and we’re going to work through it and do the right thing by him.” Eade said.