Richmond will be without key forward duo Tom Lynch and Noah Balta for a month or more after both sustained injuries late in Sunday's upset win over the Swans.
Both Lynch and Balta failed to finish the nailbiting win, with each nursing respective leg injuries.
Lynch, who missed all but of a month of the 2023 season, is set to miss a sizable chunk of this season after Richmond confirmed their spearhead would require surgery on a low hamstring tendon injury.
"Lynch suffered a significant hamstring tendon injury behind his left knee, which will likely require surgery," a club statement read on Monday.
"The key forward planted his leg awkwardly, following contact in a marking contest. He felt immediate discomfort and took himself from the field."
โIt is rotten luck for Tom, who worked extremely diligently to prepare his body for the season after what was a tough season for him last year,โ Richmond's GM of footy performance Tim Livingstone told Tigers Media.
โUnfortunately for Tom, he landed in a motion that has caused this injury.
โHe will consult a surgeon in the coming days, which will give us a clearer picture of the injuries timeline, but we are expecting he will be out for the longer term."
A specific timeline for the 2022 Jack Dyer medallist's return is yet to be outlined. Still, with the Tigers taking a slow and steady path to reintroducing Lynch over the summer after a previous leg injury, the club is unlikely to rush the former Sun.
While still a setback, the news was better for Balta, whose MCL injury would not require surgery.
Yet, the swingman is unlikely to see any senior action until mid-May, with Richmond stating the 24-year-old's rehab program would take between three and five weeks to complete.
โIn one of the last contests of the game, Noah unfortunately hurt his knee, and scans have confirmed some damage to his MCL,โ Livingstone said.
โWe will assess him further this week, but we do not expect him to play before the bye.โ
Richmond will travel to the City of Churches without their tandem of stalls, taking on St Kilda at Norwood Oval on Sunday as part of the Gather Round festivities.
