Tigers nearly at full health over off-seasonJennifer Phelan
afl.com.au
Oct 4, 2018JACK Graham is the only Richmond player facing a delayed start to summer training with the Tigers entering the off-season with just a handful of players booked in for surgery.
Graham, 20, will have the left shoulder he dislocated in round 16 reconstructed next week.
While he'll be able to resume running when the first-to-four-year players return to training on Monday, November 19, he'll be kept out of contact drills and tackling until early 2019.
However, he isn't in doubt to be available for round one at this stage.
"It was an expected operation and we don't expect any side effects from it," football manager Neil Balme told AFL.com.au on Wednesday.
"It certainly won't have any impact on his season next year."
Spearhead Jack Riewoldt will also have shoulder surgery in the coming weeks but his is considered a minor cleanout and won't impact on his return to training with the other five-plus-year players on Monday, December 3.
Other players facing minor operations include Josh Caddy (ankle cleanout), Dylan Grimes (finger) and Ben Miller (hip cleanout).
Young defender Ryan Garthwaite has already had his ankle cleaned out and attended Tuesday night's best and fairest – which was won by Riewoldt – on crutches.
Dustin Martin has recovered from the corked thigh that bled into his knee in the lead-up to the Tigers' preliminary final loss to Collingwood and required no further intervention after the game.
He's largely been on the road since, spending the last week visiting his father Shane in New Zealand before travelling to Thailand for a holiday with over 30 of his teammates on Wednesday morning.
The Tigers could welcome "big tuna" Tom Lynch to Punt Road as early as Friday when the NAB AFL Free Agency period opens.
Lynch plans to start running in the middle of next month and there are tentative plans for him to commence his pre-season on December 3 with his new teammates.
The goal-kicker had surgery on his posterior cruciate ligament in early July and last played in round 14.
He officially declared Richmond as his preferred home on Tuesday after months of speculation about which Melbourne-based club would win his services.
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-10-03/tigers-nearly-at-full-health-over-offseason
