CARLTON recruit Robbie Warnock has been sidelined for up to eight weeks with a stress fracture in his foot.

The 21-year-old ruckman made a brief appearance at training yesterday, but the club confirmed he was diagnosed with the injury on Tuesday night.

Coach Brett Ratten said it was "extremely disappointing" for Warnock, who played 21 games for Fremantle before crossing to the Blues during trade week.

"At this stage it looks like he will be in rehabilitation for the next month or two," Ratten said.

The injury is a bitter blow for the club and Warnock, who was making good progress after season-ending shoulder surgery in August.

At 206 centimetres, he is a crucial part of Carlton's long-term planning.

"Robbie is a talented young ruckman, who is still developing, and remains an integral part of our plans in 2009 and beyond," Ratten said.

Warnock's setback is further bad news for the Blues, who have Heath Scotland (foot), Brad Fisher (elbow), Adam Bentick (hip) and Adam Hartlett (knee) still recovering.

Meanwhile, Hawthorn spearhead Lance Franklin could miss the AFL's pre-season competition after revealing his focus was on preparing his body for round one.

The 2008 Coleman medallist is on a modified training program after post-season surgery on his shoulder and thumb and has not joined in any contact training drills.

"We'll see what happens. If it feels all right obviously I'll get out there and play, but if it's not right at that time I'll wait for round one," he said.

The 21-year-old said "the body is coming along all right", but could not forecast a return to competition in time for the club's NAB Cup matches.

"The last four pre-seasons I've done nearly everything and this is the first pre-season where I've only done probably less than 50 per cent.

"It's a little bit disappointing, but I've just got to keep working pre-season, keep pushing myself and hopefully I get right for round one."

He expected Hawthorn "to be hunted this year" after the club's stunning grand final win over Geelong.

"Obviously last year was a big year for us, but we're putting that behind us now," Franklin said.

"It's a new year, we're having a strong pre-season and we're in that phase of working hard as a team and putting in another good, hard pre-season.

"We're just going to keep playing the football we played last year and hopefully it will take us back where we were last year."

Franklin joined Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin at Waverley yesterday to announce Federal Government funding to support the development of football in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.

The $250,000 package is the result of a partnership between the AFL, the Federal Government and the Western Australian Football Commission.

"What we want to do is make sure those youngsters in the Kimberley get the chance to train and develop as footballers as Lance had the chance to do," Macklin said.

The money will be used to employ a community development officer, an administrator to manage football activities in the region and two indigenous AFL trainees to deliver school-based programs.

"We understand how important sport is for young people's health, developing their leadership potential (and) encouraging kids to stay on at school and become leaders in their communities," she said.