Injury Update 2025

[WilliamPowell]

Injury report: 2025 pre-season
Get the latest pre-season injury update.

By Richmond Media
4 hrs ago
Brought to you by nib

Get the latest pre-season injury update from High Performance Manager Ben Serpell.


High Performance Manager Ben Serpell gives an update on the players in rehab thanks to nib.

ACL group

The ACL guys are progressing really well. We're still holding firm on our decision to make sure that we give them time to come back and look at the full 12-month rehab for them. The reality is, we know, research tells us that the graft is still going to undergo some biological healing up until the 12-month mark, so where we can, we'll look after them in that space."

"Having said that, Judson Clarke's probably leading the charge with the ACL guys and, even then, we are probably not expecting him back until around about April."

"Mykelti Lefau’s doing really well and he's out there running a fair bit at the moment. Hopefully over the next couple of weeks or next couple of months, we'll see guys like him start to integrate into drills, but we'll take our time with them."

"Taj Hotton ran with Josh Gibcus for the first time the other day over the other side of the field and boys got around them, stopped training for them so they could get out and cheer them along and, and they did quite well. They've got long careers as I said, so we want to make sure we look after them, make sure they're healed well and that we're minimising risk for re-injury when they come back."

Approach to injury prevention

“We've got such a young group here that we want to spend time making sure that we're developing them athletically."

"We spend a lot of time teaching them how to kick and so on. Reality is, our guys might be lucky to kick 20 to 30 times in a game, but they do a lot more running than that. We're willing to do 20 kicks in a warm-up every day, but we don't spend a lot of time developing our athletes athletically."

"We've taken a proactive approach this year and we're developing our young lads, our new recruits, with Dan Bailey downstairs, who's an accomplished track and field coach. He's working with them this year and teaching them how to move on field, but also teaching them how to lift so that when they come out they're a little bit more robust to play. We’re trying to have that theme right across the squad this year.”

https://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/1707438/pre-season-injury-update-acl

[one-eyed]

Injury Report: January 28

Richmond Media
27 Jan 2025

Richmond High Performance Manager Ben Serpell has provided an injury update, following last Friday’s match simulation.

First-year Tigers Josh Smillie and Jasper Alger both came from the field during the hit-out, which was participated in by excellent numbers.

Smillie will enter a rehabilitation phase, due to a minor hamstring issue, while Alger will return to full training in the very near future.

“Josh has come to the Club and had a sporadic load over the last little while, which is typical of most first years,” Serpell said.

“Because of that (and his minor hamstring issue) we have decided to take a conservative approach with him and give him some consistent training.

“We still expect him to be around the mark for the early parts of the season, hopefully by trial (game) time.”

Jasper Alger remains in contention for those games, following a hyper-extension to his knee.

“Jasper hyper-extended his knee in match play last week. He got a little bit spooked, but the scans came back positively,” Serpell said.

“He will train a little bit later this week and there is a chance he will get out for match play (on Friday).

“But if not this week, it is going to be next week (that he returns to partaking in match play).”

Serpell also gave an update on Josh Gibcus, who will not be available for the early rounds of the season.

“Josh in 2023 underwent surgery to repair his hamstring after a significant strain, which was backed up by his ACL injury last year,” he said.

“So, he has had two traumatic injuries season on season, which is why what we decided to do is take a conservative approach with him.

“Josh is a long-term prospect and as we have said all along, we want to look after him. I think all Richmond fans would agree that once he is back, we want him to stay in the team instead of being in rehab again.

“He went a bit slower through the early stages of his rehab than we would have liked, but we cannot do anything about that because everyone’s body responds in different ways.

“So, he is still a long-term injury prospect, but is tracking quite well otherwise.

“We are unlikely to see Josh in the early rounds. And as I have said earlier- Judson Clarke is the one leading the way among the ACL guys and he is looking at coming back around April.”

https://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/1710030/richmond-injury-update-january-28

[one-eyed]

Tylar Young (Knee) - Working his way back from a torn ACL in 2024.

Mykelti Lefau (Knee) - Working his way back from a torn ACL in 2024.

Josh Gibcus (Knee) - Working his way back from a torn ACL in 2024.

Judson Clarke (Knee) - Working his way back from a torn ACL in 2024. Closer to a return than the others.

Taj Hotton (Knee) - Expected to be eased into his first AFL season off a torn ACL.

Josh Smillie (Hamstring) - Will miss the start of the season.

Jasper Alger (Knee) - Hyperextended knee in pre-season training.

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2025/02/04/your-clubs-injury-list-or-tracking-the-brutal-injury-blows-around-the-afl

[Diocletian]

So Smillie goes from "hopefully right for the trial games" to missing the start of the season proper in the space of 8 days?

Has a magically familiar ring to it....

[pmac21]

So Smillie goes from "hopefully right for the trial games" to missing the start of the season proper in the space of 8 days?

Has a magically familiar ring to it....

This is very disappointing news.  So he will be out for 3 months then with a light hamstring injury?

[WilliamPowell]

So Smillie goes from "hopefully right for the trial games" to missing the start of the season proper in the space of 8 days?

Has a magically familiar ring to it....

It is a SEN report not a list from the Club, so it's gotta be true right? better whack the Club and the new High Performance manager straight away

Personally, until the Club says it, it is guess work by the media.

I listened to Serpell's interview on Talking Tigers today, he explained the situation with Gibcus and others. He was super impressive. His knowledge around ACL's is exactly what we need.

Even spoke about managing loads for the first year player

Would recommend people have a listen

[Willy]

WTF Smilie? Hope that's not accurate.

[WilliamPowell]

This is what the Club said back on 28 January (from above https://oneeyed-richmond.com/forum/index.php?topic=33805.msg785023#msg785023)

“Josh has come to the Club and had a sporadic load over the last little while, which is typical of most first years,” Serpell said.

“Because of that (and his minor hamstring issue) we have decided to take a conservative approach with him and give him some consistent training.

“We still expect him to be around the mark for the early parts of the season, hopefully by trial (game) time.”


From that SEN has said he will miss the start of the season

As I said let's wait to hear something official from the Club....

I actually think it is a good thing they are taking a cautious approach with the young kids in particular.... would rather that thwn have them ger over worked and then suffer some sort of injury that keeps them out for months

[Hard Roar Tiger]

Totally agree Willy.

[one-eyed]

It hasn't been the smoothest of pre-seasons for Richmond, partially due to a hangover of injuries suffered last year.

The ACL quintet of Judson Clarke, Mykelti Lefau, Tylar Young, Josh Gibcus and draftee Taj Hotton remain some way off, with small forward Clarke expected to be the first one back in April.

Gibcus has been put on ice, and is likely to miss at least the first six matches. The backman went back to Qatar for a week over the off-season – not because of any particular issues with his hamstring, but because he enjoyed the body mechanical work he completed in 2023.

Dion Prestia had a strong December block but has been managed in recent weeks, given his extensive hamstring and calf history, which has flared at this point of pre-season in previous years.

Tom Lynch is currently in concussion protocols after a training collision on Friday.

Draftee Josh Smillie picked up a minor hamstring injury during match simulation and is an outside chance to feature in the practice matches, while Jasper Alger suffered a minor knee hyperextension.

Noah Balta has been banned by the club from the practice matches and the first four rounds of the season after pleading guilty to assault following an incident in December.



https://www.afl.com.au/news/1265997/state-of-play-whos-injured-at-your-club

[MintOnLamb]

It hasn't been the smoothest of pre-seasons for Richmond, partially due to a hangover of injuries suffered last year.

The ACL quintet of Judson Clarke, Mykelti Lefau, Tylar Young, Josh Gibcus and draftee Taj Hotton remain some way off, with small forward Clarke expected to be the first one back in April.

Gibcus has been put on ice, and is likely to miss at least the first six matches. The backman went back to Qatar for a week over the off-season – not because of any particular issues with his hamstring, but because he enjoyed the body mechanical work he completed in 2023.

Dion Prestia had a strong December block but has been managed in recent weeks, given his extensive hamstring and calf history, which has flared at this point of pre-season in previous years.

Tom Lynch is currently in concussion protocols after a training collision on Friday.

Draftee Josh Smillie picked up a minor hamstring injury during match simulation and is an outside chance to feature in the practice matches, while Jasper Alger suffered a minor knee hyperextension.

Noah Balta has been banned by the club from the practice matches and the first four rounds of the season after pleading guilty to assault following an incident in December.



https://www.afl.com.au/news/1265997/state-of-play-whos-injured-at-your-club

Off to a perfect start??

[Francois Jackson]

Off to a good start with gibcus I see 

[Diocletian]

Off to a good start with gibcus I see 

From Meehan Magic to Serpell Sorcery 

[WilliamPowell]

Off to a good start with gibcus I see 

From Meehan Magic to Serpell Sorcery 

I take it you and Frankie have listened to his interview on the Talking Tigers podcast that clearly explains what's going on with Gibcus and why they're being extra cautious with his comeback? Even if it doesn't suit your biased narrative

I would have thought you would be pleased someone is clearing up the Meehan mess? Clearly not 

[georgies31]

Gez pack of whingers here get the players right from the beginning not like last seasons circus.