Richmond have confirmed that star forward Tom Lynch and important swingman Noah Balta are set for extended times on the sidelines.
The key duo both sustained fourth-quarter injuries in Sunday’s thrilling win over Sydney at the MCG, with Lynch suffering a significant hamstring tendon injury behind his left knee.
7NEWS chief AFL reporter Mitch Cleary said it was the “worst possible news for Richmond” after Lynch’s scans earlier on Monday morning.
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“He is out for 10-plus weeks with hamstring tendon damage that is likely to require surgery,” Cleary said.
The key forward planted his leg awkwardly, following contact in a marking contest. In a statement, Richmond said he “felt immediate discomfort” and then cameras caught him hobbling from the field.
Lynch only managed just four games last season and didn’t run for nine months.
“They initially thought that it may been knee damage,” Cleary said
“(But) the Tigers were adamant today that it had nothing to do with his conditioning. It was purely with the way he landed on that knee (in the marking contest).”
Seven commentator Abbey Holmes noted that Lynch only managed four games last season.
“That is heartbreaking for him,” she said
Balta has a moderate MCL injury that will keep him out of the game for 3-5 weeks, after he also landed with discomfort in the final seconds of the match.
Making matters worse for the Tigers, vice-captain Liam Baker has copped a one-game suspension for his high hit on Sydney defender Lewis Melican.
The incident was graded as careless conduct, medium impact and high contact.
Richmond football performance manager Tim Livingstone said that the latest injuries were very unfortunate.
“It 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,” he said.
“Unfortunately for Tom, he landed in a motion that has caused this injury.
“He 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.”
Balta had made a bright start to the season in a new forward role, but is also set to miss some football.
“In one of the last contests of the game, Noah unfortunately hurt his knee, and scans have confirmed some damage to his MCL,” Livingstone said.
“We will assess him further this week, but we do not expect him to play before the bye.”
Cleary said it was a significant blow to Richmond’s tall stocks who are already without key defender Josh Gibcus for the season.
Gibcus ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in Round 1 during the Tigers’ loss to Carlton.
It’s a brutal start to the season for new coach Adem Yze and this latest news takes the gloss of the club’s first win under his tenure.
The Tigers were fantastic against the Swans and Lynch started to show glimpses of his best football after he a quiet game against Port Adelaide.
Lynch didn’t play in Richmond’s opening game of the season as the club took a conservative approach with its prized forward.
