Dustin Martin was reportedly admitted to hospital late on Friday night following a heavy collision with Brisbane wrecking ball Mitch Robinson during Richmond's 20-point win over the Lions on the Gold Coast.
The incident between Martin and Robinson took place during the third term of the aforesaid clash, and had the three-time Norm Smith medalist doubled over in pain for a considerable period before eventually ending the contest on the interchange bench.
Scans have since confirmed a kidney injury for Martin and that he will miss the remainder of the 2021 season.
Footage from the Metricon Stadium change rooms showed a visibly uncomfortable Martin being assisted by members of Richmond's medical staff before remerging clad in a Tigers tracksuit.
Jon Ralph of The Herald Sun and Fox Footy last night confirmed on Twitter that the 30-year-old had been sent for scans by the club to ensure that he was able to join his teammates on their flight home on Saturday.
Despite several members of Friday night's Channel 7 commentary team speculating that Martin was ailing from a hip pointer injury, Ralph stated that it was the 2017 Brownlow medalist's ribs that were bothering him.
“I’ve spoken to Richmond and they’ve officially said to me it’s a rib injury," Ralph said on Fox Footy.
"Clearly you can understand why the thought would be a hip pointer and potentially an internal injury, given he was in such immense pain.
“The fact he was in that pain suggests he’s more likely to have cracked it than bruised it, but we’re guessing; you’d think he’s less likely to play against Geelong [next week]."
However despite Ralph's diagnosis, following said scans, Richmond revealed on Saturday morning that Martin had in fact suffered a kidney injury.
https://twitter.com/Richmond_FC/status/1416182249276383233
As stated prior, Martin will miss the rest of the season, as he was deemed unfit to fly home with his teammates on Saturday morning.
In a statement from the football club released on Saturday afternoon, Richmond doctor Greg Hickey had this to say about the champion's ailment:
“Dustin stayed the night in hospital for observation and has been seen by a urologist this morning. He is feeling good and remains stable,” Hickey said.
“Given the delicate nature of the injury and recovery timeline, he will not play football again this season.”
Richmond's General Manager of Football Tim Livingstone added:
“We are incredibly disappointed that Dustin will spend some time on the sidelines but we are focused on his immediate well-being right now,” Livingstone said.
“Dustin is in great hands with the medical and support staff around him and we will support him however we can throughout his recovery.”
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In further bad news for the Punt Roaders, Martin's premiership teammate Kamdyn McIntosh also finished the Round 18 clash early after succumbing to a hamstring injury in the first quarter.
At the time of writing, the extent of the 27-year-old's ailment is not yet known, however, Fox Footy reporter Max Laughton is of the belief that the Western Australia could miss up to a month of action.
In a match that ebbed and flowed, Richmond head coach Damien Hardwick appeared actively annoyed during portions of Friday night.
With another pair of names added to an already lengthy injury list, one imagines that his mood won't have improved too much despite the Tigers proving able to claim the four-points.
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The Tigers will fly back to Victoria on Saturday before preparing themselves for their all important clash with the Cats in Round 19.
As of yet, the venue for the future contest is still yet to be determined, as Geelong have reportedly engaged in conversations with league officials about shifting the clash to GMHBA Stadium.