Richo injury 'unrelated' to original problem
Jake Niall | May 5, 2009
RICHMOND insists that the injury that Matthew Richardson aggravated in Sydney on Sunday was unrelated to the buttock problem that had him in doubt in the lead-up to the game.
Richardson is now doubtful for Saturday's game against the Brisbane Lions, but the Tigers say it was an existing hamstring tendonitis problem, not the buttock injury that flared during the Sydney game. The hamstring tendonitis problem appears likely to force him to miss this week.
Richardson had hurt his buttock against North Melbourne and was in doubt in the days before last Sunday, but football manager Ross Monaghan said last night that the two injuries were "unrelated".
He said the club had chosen to play Richardson based on the input of medical and fitness staff, with Richardson also having a say in the decision. Richardson, in his 17th season and the AFL's oldest player, is considered a good judge of his own capacity to play hurt.
Monaghan said the club had not misjudged in allowing Richardson to play last week. "Our people are better than that. There are two different injuries."
Richardson, who was hurt early in the game, struggled against the Swans and gained the least possessions of any Tiger player. Monaghan said Richardson would have a scan today and the club would assess the injury and how he recovered before deciding whether he could play; that the Tigers have only a six-day break could go against Richardson.
In a statement issued by the Tigers, club doctor Greg Hickey said the injuries were unrelated. The club said medical staff had been managing tendonitis in Richardson's hamstring since the start of the 2009 season.
"Early in the first quarter against the Swans, Matthew aggravated a long-term niggle in his hamstring origin tendon," Hickey said. "He will have some scans over the coming week. We will try to settle the pain and he will need to do some strengthening work."
If Richardson misses, he will be replaced, in a sense, by Ben Cousins, who is fit to return to the seniors this week after playing his first game since round one in the VFL on Saturday. Monaghan said Cousins was "good as gold".
Trent Cotchin played his second consecutive game at VFL level and is slowly regaining match fitness following an Achilles injury, but it is unclear whether he is deemed fit enough to play seniors yet.
Forward Kayne Pettifer played his first game at VFL senior level since his knee reconstruction last year.
http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/rfnews/richo-injury-unrelated-to-original-problem/2009/05/04/1241289101756.html
