FALLEN Saint Matt Maguire may have been thrown a lifeline but he's still in a race against time to show Carlton his body is up to the rigours of AFL football.
Maguire, 25, joined the Blues for pre-season training on Monday, however, he has been restricted to the rehabilitation group after the removal of the corrective rod that was inserted into his badly broken leg late in 2006.
With the NAB AFL Pre-Season Draft little more than a month away, Maguire faces the tough task of proving his leg and the related stress fractures in his foot - that limited him to just 14 games over 2007 and 2008 - won't be an ongoing issue.
"He had the rod taken out of his leg in the off-season so he's still recovering from that … and his foot as well," Carlton ruck and development coach Matthew Capuano said of Maguire's first week at Visy Park.
"He's only been here for a few days but he's thrown himself into all the rehab stuff and the touch stuff that we've done so far. Hopefully he comes along well."
Capuano said Maguire, a popular figure at his former club, had been warmly welcomed by the Blues players.
With time against him, Maguire understands a positive prognosis from the club's medical staff will be the major factor in the decision-making process.
"It's probably more about where his body is at then it will be down to the testing with Justin Cordy and the elite performance unit and just seeing where he's at in that respect," Capuano continued.
"I think if there are a few ticks that go in there with him it will progress further, but I think it's really a gradual process over the next month just to see where it goes."
Capuano added it was still far too early to make a call on how Maguire was faring, with the club intent on covering all angles in its assessment of the key defender's condition.
Maguire, a second-round draft pick (21st overall) in 2001, was left stranded on 99 games when the Saints decided to axe him at the end of October.