Higgins’ surprise role in Tigers’ flag bidJon Ralph and Rebecca Williams
Herald Sun
27 September 2019Richmond star forward Tom Lynch has revealed the hilarious Jack Higgins speech that had his teammates in stitches in Round 10 last year played a key role in luring him to the Tigers.
The Tigers’ cult hero made an emotional return to Richmond training on Thursday amid a dramatically improved outlook on his health that could see him completing the upcoming pre-season.
It is understood Higgins might now ramp up his fitness work in coming months after earlier conservative estimates he might only return late next season.
His second bout of brain surgery has been so successful he could be in non-contact drills early in the pre-season before being cleared late in the summer for contract drills.
Richmond players will use his inspiration as they prepare for the Grand Final, thrilled to see him jogging laps after being told to give him his space in recent weeks.
Higgins had already become a popular Tigers player with his quirky sense of humour and determination to go out and kick some “sausages” pre-match.
Lynch was still a free agent deciding between pitches from Richmond, Collingwood and Hawthorn when he sat on the couch on the Gold Coast witnessing Higgins’ halftime pump-up speech.
“From outside looking in, I saw that it looked like a great group. They had something special,” Lynch told the Herald Sun.
“Watching on that Friday night with Jack Higgins making everyone laugh at halftime and things like that, it just seemed like a great club to be part of.
“Just watching it on the couch, it wasn’t a light bulb moment, it was pretty cool. Unfortunately, when you talk about adversity, Jack is going through a pretty tough time. We want to see him back, that bubbly person he is and he will be once he gets fully fit. He had an operation a couple of weeks ago and we had been told to let him be so we can’t wait to have him back here. It’s been a pretty tough time for him.”
Higgins, 20, has had an abnormality since birth in which blood vessels in the brain bleed.
The young star played 13 senior games this season before experiencing headaches after a VFL game in July and being treated for a brain bleed.
He pulled up terribly from initial surgery with a shocking week of pain and then eight weeks of further headaches.
But since his second surgery he has improved markedly and could even be on track for a Round 1 return if everything goes to plan.
Tigers football manager Neil Balme said he hoped Higgins, who plans to attend the Grand Final on Saturday, was now back to “square one” with his recovery.
“It’s lovely. He has got a really good report from his surgeon and he is feeling pretty good, so he has come back in for the first time,” Balme said.
“I think he is going to get to the game on Saturday, which is good. Hopefully he is back to square one.
“He has kind of got the all clear to get moving I think. So he will start training as soon as he can, we haven’t quite worked out what the program is, but they reckon he’s pretty good.
“It’s been a very positive report and they are happy with it and he is feeling comfortable and feeling good and he’s keen to get started soon.
Balme said the players were all pumped to have Higgins back at the club.
“The boys are really keen to see him, which is terrific,” Balme said.
“He is very excited about it (going to the Grand Final).”
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/richmond/tom-lynch-reveals-how-jack-higgins-helped-lure-him-to-richmond/news-story/8ab70d803154182558dd3de59da58ed7
