Richmond could be forced to use top-up players for next week’s clash against Essendon as their injury crisis claims another victim.
Already dealing with the longest injury list in the league, the Tigers suffered another blow during the first half of Sunday’s clash against St Kilda.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Richmond’s historic crisis deepens with Gray blow
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Key defender Campbell Gray limped off with a hamstring injury that will likely see him miss multiple weeks.
He will become the 19th player added to the lengthy injury list.
Highlighting Richmond’s dire injury situation, they had zero AFL-listed players in the VFL on the weekend.
Every fit senior-listed player was named in the AFL squad for the clash against the Saints with ruck Samson Ryan, Kaleb Smith and Mykelti Lefau the three emergencies.
Smith had only just been cleared to return from injury, but isn’t ready for a full game at VFL level, let alone AFL, while Lefau was managed.
Ryan was the carryover emergency.
Lefau will be available next week to face Essendon, but there still could be a situation where the Tigers apply for special dispensation to include a top-up player in their squad of 26 for Friday night’s clash against Essendon.
West Coast were granted special permission to field five top-up players in 2022 when a COVID-19 outbreak sidelined multiple players.
Channel 7’s Tom Morris shed more light on the issue during the half-time break of Sunday’s clash.
“Richmond are facing the biggest injury crisis that any club has faced in the modern era, even more than West Coast with their COVID situation in 2022,” Morris said.
“Campbell Gray is the 19th player to be injured at the moment for the Tigers.
“It leaves the Tigers, as it stands, just 25 players to pick from, which means they are every chance to dip into some VFL top-up players.
“We haven’t seen this at AFL level since the Eagles in 2022.
“It’s unprecedented, no team has gone through this outside of COVID.”
More to come …
