Kane Lambert retires [merged]

[Hard Roar Tiger]

Showed how much we've missed him. Thankfully got through the game too (touchwood).

Saw him start the passage of “richmond play” on 4 or 5 times. He get’s it more than he buys into which is wrong way around for a number of our players so far this year

[one-eyed]

Kane Lambert faced hip surgery and an extended lay-off at one stage this year but the Tigers’ high performance team, led by Peter Burge, chose a different route for him that began with a slow build-up in the VFL.

The triple premiership star compiled 22 disposals, five inside 50s and three clearances in his first match of the year.

“It was really good. It had been a long pre-season for me and there was a little bit of uncertainty about what it looked like,” he said.

“I returned in the VFL for a few games and it was good to get a run with the development boys there, but I’m really happy to be back in the senior squad.”

Richmond could snatch the Magpies’ top-eight spot if Damien Hardwick’s men can claim consecutive scalps for the first time this season after a dominant display at the Eagles’ expense.

“I think (the win was) important for our group,” Lambert said.

“There were processes that we needed to execute and we felt like we improved in those areas, but we’ve got to keep moving on.

“Collingwood is a good team, they’re fast and our old coach ‘Fly’ (Craig McRae) is there as well, so he knows us pretty well. It’s going to be a great contest on Saturday.”

Source: HeraldSun

[one-eyed]

Triple premiership star Kane Lambert has made an impressive return to the AFL across the past fortnight, collecting 22 disposals against West Coast and 18 against Collingwood, after overcoming a chronic long-term hip injury that threatened to end his career.
 
Hardwick praised Lambert's determination to play with an issue that would have forced others into retirement, but said the 30-year-old is a week-to-week proposition due to the state of his body.

"He puts his heart and soul into this. Waited a long time to get his AFL debut – he missed a lot of drafts – and he's not prepared to let his AFL career go. He'll do everything he can to play as long as he can. “It’s an incredible example for any player that probably didn’t think they had a chance, but when they do get the chance, of how to stay in there. Any other player wouldn’t be playing, guaranteed,” Hardwick said.
 
"He is week-to-week. He'll give me an understanding of how he feels today and whether he's right to go. Kane is always in my side, but it's basically up to Kane whether he plays or not. He'll train today and see how he feels, then give me a nod nod, wink wink if he's right to go. Otherwise we'll find another soldier. Hopefully he gets up."

Source: AFL website

[one-eyed]

Dimma post-game talking about Lambert:

Hardwick said other players wouldn’t still be playing with the hip issue Lambert has been managing this year, praising the triple-premiership star for his courage.

"It is concerning. Any other player wouldn’t be playing, to be perfectly honest. What he does to get up for games is incredible.
 
"We thought we would get one – at a maximum two games – he's played the last four. Probably shows you how important he is that we start winning our games.
 
"His leadership both on and off the field is really important. He does effectively get a two-week break as well with the bye coming up. He is tough this guy, really, really tough. The game means a lot to him in fairness, so that’s why he keeps pushing through."

Source: AFL website

[Andyy]

Couple of blokes on BF saying he basically needs a hip replacement?

Bloody dire news if that's true. They don't last forever even in older adults so this bloke is going to struggle post footy.

Poor bugger looked very sore and slow.

[mat073]

Sadly looks cooked .

What a great player he's been for us .

[Tiger Khosh]

Hasn’t he and the club admitted as much already? As in it’ll be something he just has to manage throughout the rest of his playing days and then have surgery to repair after retirement.

I thought he’s been good since he’s come back in. Dominated the vfl and then before yesterdays game:
22 touches, 7 marks against the Eagles
18 touches and 1 goal against the Pies
16 touches and 8 tackles against the Hawks

[Hard Roar Tiger]

Is nothing new to report here. Might be his last year.

[one-eyed]

Kane Lambert will also take at least a fortnight off after his hip problem flared against the Essendon.

Source: Sam Edmund on SEN.

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Lambert’s hip is a worry.

No one works harder at Richmond.

But they’ve flagged he won’t really start training until post bye.

Richmond only thought it would hold up for one and two game stints. He bravely managed four games in a row

https://twitter.com/TomBrowne7/status/1528662786376892416

[Andyy]

Sounds terrible.

Maybe he should hang up the boots for his own sake

[camboon]

Nothing new, it was either an operation or to manage it, he choose to manage it.

[Tiger Khosh]

Sounds like he’ll just need a rest every 3-4 weeks. Better than not having him at all I say.

[the claw]

I prefer he retires.He is 30 he has a chronic hip problem that can only get worse with age and we cannot guarantee he will be available on a regular basis.

Once again i think we are missing the opportunity to bring on a player like Dow.

In saying that i understand his situation being a mature recruit and late starter to AFL. Been a darn good player for us as well but at some point we need to take every opportunity to get games into kids.

I suppose im just looking further down the track than others and am not so concerned about right now as this is definately the last throw of the dice for us and wth it being last throw i still cannot see us winning it.

Regularly play the kids in good strong sides with lots of experience around them and if we still make finals its a bonus.

[one-eyed]

Richmond coach Damien Hardwick fears for long-term future of Kane Lambert

Only one operation can fix a Richmond premiership hero’s ongoing hip issue, but it would be career-ending.

May 25, 2022 - 12:29PM
NCA NewsWire

Richmond coach Damien Hardwick has outlined his long-term fears for premiership star Kane Lambert, with a career-ending hip replacement looming as the only solution to his painful injury.

Hardwick said whatever games Lambert, the three-time premiership player who continues to battle a hip issue, manages to play this year are a “bonus” given the extremes he is putting his body through just to get on the ground.

Lambert was subbed off in last week’s Dreamtime win over Essendon, with the coach revealing the 30-year-old went to him at halftime and said “I think I’m done”.

“Any time a great player is out you worry. We got four games out of him in a row, and it’s no coincidence we win all of those games,” Hardwick said on Wednesday.

“To see what he puts his body through and to see him walk out of those change rooms at the end, he gives everything. To see him come to me at halftime, he said “I think I’m done”, shows how hard he works to get up.

“He’ll have a good couple of weeks break ... hopefully refreshed for the second part of the year. Whatever games we get out of Kane are going to be a real bonus from here on in.

“Where it leaves him long term we are not too sure, but there are very few players who would be putting their bodies through what he does every week. I’ll be pushing our very best players to get back and he’s one of those. It’s just what he can put up with.”

Hardwick said there was a surgical option, but it wasn’t a good one.

“There is … but it’s a hip replacement,” he said.

“He won’t be coming back from that.”

https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/richmond-coach-damien-hardwick-fears-for-the-longterm-future-of-kane-lambert/news-story/f483573eba13d663355bab295e557ef7

[one-eyed]

Lambert has been managing a chronic hip issue which has threatened to cut short his career.

"What he goes through every week to play is incredible, no one does it better than Kane to get himself ready to play," Hardwick said.

"We just want to make sure when he comes back in he's close to 100 per cent as he's going to be, he's probably never going to be that again, but we want to get him close."

https://www.afl.com.au/news/775814/tigers-set-to-welcome-back-flag-heroes-star-forward-to-miss