Aboriginal great Paddy Ryder may have played the last of his 281 AFL games.

A late-season calf strain could force the 34-year-old into retirement should St Kilda not reach this year's finals.

The Noongar-Yamatji man is sidelined for four to six weeks after being substituted in the Western Bulldogs match last Friday.

It is the third time the troublesome left calf has forced the veteran ruckman to sit out since joining the Saints at the end of 2019.

Indigenous teammate Ben Long, a Anmatyerre man, admitted losing Ryder was a blow for St Kilda's top eight hopes.

"We're definitely flat that he'll be out for a few weeks," Long told Yokayi Footy.

"He definitely plays a massive part in our team, but we'll look to work on that and see where we could go from there."

https://www.nit.com.au/paddy-ryder-gilbert-mcadam-reflect-on-the-growth-of-afls-indigenous-brotherhood/

The Saints have lost more games than they have won without Ryder, hitting its lowest ebb last year with a 40 per cent winning rate.

The final diagnosis has clouded his immediate future ahead of the last five home and away matches of the 2022 season.

Club medical officials initially informed coach Brett Ratten on Friday prior to a press conference that the injury was an Achilles tendon.

"We have to be wary of a player of 34, nearly 35, and has a history of that," Ratten said.

St Kilda defender Callum Wilkie spoke to Ryder on Tuesday ahead of a team training session before fronting the media.

Wilkie had no insight on whether the club's unofficial elder of its growing Aboriginal contingent could return in time for the last game of the year, let alone whether retirement was on the cards.

"I don't really know," Wilkie said.

"There's a chance he could come back, but I will leave that to the physios and docs.

"He's just an amazing person, an amazing player.

"Paddy attacks his rehab probably better than anyone I have ever seen.

"He knows his own body so, I hope that's not the end."

• Story by Andrew Mathieson