Richmond's injury crisis has deepened further, with young gun Sam Lalor becoming the latest player to join the club's extensive list of sidelined stars. The former No.1 draft pick suffered a partial Achilles injury during training on Thursday, leaving him as the 16th player on the winless Tigers' injury list.
Lalor's injury and recovery timeline
The club confirmed that Lalor will be assessed in the coming days before a timeline for his return is established. Football boss Tim Livingstone expressed disappointment over the setback, praising Lalor's professionalism. 'We are disappointed for Sam, whose injury occurred during training on Thursday. Sam is the consummate professional who will attack his rehab with the necessary care and commitment,' Livingstone said.
Gibcus faces uncertain future with rare ACL sprain
Meanwhile, Josh Gibcus is dealing with an uncommon ACL sprain after leaving Richmond's VFL game over the weekend with a knee concern. Fitness boss Ben Serpell explained that Gibcus will sit out for a period while the club consults with multiple surgeons to determine the best course of action. 'It is an uncommon injury, so we need to be considered with our approach for his return to play. We need to consult a number of different surgeons. We can see, for instance, Gab Seymour from our women's program sustained a similar injury last year. She didn't go through surgery, and she's back out training. So we are hoping for the best for Josh. To be clear, this is not the same knee that Josh underwent reconstruction surgery for not long ago, and we'll update our fans when we can on the course of action we'll take with Josh Gibcus,' Serpell said.
Smillie suffers fresh quad tear
Josh Smillie has also suffered a fresh tear of the quad injury he has been recovering from last week. Serpell clarified that the original surgical site remains intact, but Smillie will be shifted back to the TBC time frame. 'Both Joshes (Smillie and Gibcus) are clearly very frustrated with their injuries at this point in time, as is everyone at the club. I think at this point in time it's really important that we get our arms around these guys and support them through their respective recoveries and make sure that we get behind them as they progress forward,' he added.
Other injuries on the Tigers' list
Judson Clarke, who is recovering from an ACL injury, recently returned from a trip to the USA and is set to step up his training in May. Rhyan Mansell and Tom Sims are dealing with foot issues, while Taj Hotton is out with a hip injury. The full injury list also includes Kaleb Smith (groin), Maurice Rioli (hamstring), Toby Nankervis (hamstring), Jasper Alger (knee), Harry Armstrong (foot), Zane Peucker (ankle), Hugo Ralphsmith (MCL), Tim Taranto (concussion), and Sam Banks (collarbone).
