Richmond’s 25-point loss to Carlton on Thursday night has been compounded by injuries to midfielder Dion Prestia and key forward Jack Riewoldt.
Prestia, the Tigers’ 2019 best and fairest winner, limped from the field in the second quarter with a hamstring issue and was quickly subbed out of the game. It’s the latest injury setback in what has become a riddled career.
It’s just disappointing, he’s had as good a pre-season as he’s had,” coach Damien Hardwick said after the game.
“He’s so important to how we play. I feel like he’s barely played for two and a half years. And 10 touches in the first quarter and long behold we’re up and going, then he goes out.
“He’s a significant loss, big loss, I just really feel for the kid.
“He’s so important to the way we play but just the culture of our place as well. He was really disappointed and I’m disappointed for him, we want him on the field and we want him up and about. It’s a challenging stage for him.”
Coach Damien Hardwick revealed after the game Riewoldt, who had a quiet night, had suffered a fractured thumb during the match.
The popular forward and three-time Coleman Medallist was clearly hampered by the injury, managing just six disposals and a solitary goal, and is set to have scans on Friday.
“That’s why he went off early and probably struggled to hold the ball a little bit tonight,” Hardwick said.
“We didn’t fare too well. We’ll get more details out when we find out possibly tomorrow.”
Compounding the injuries is the fitness of young midfielder Jack Graham, who endured an interrupted pre-season but was forced into a full-time midfield role following Prestia’s injury.
Hardwick conceded playing Graham was a ‘calculated risk’, but one that backfired.
“That’s the cut and throat of AFL footy, you make a call and push the envelope a little bit,” he said.
“Jack’s had six years with us, his pre-season durability has been pretty good over the time and he’s played off limited preparation once before and played really well against Carlton.
“Obviously losing Dion [Prestia] really hurt. It was a calculated risk, did it pay off? Well probably not tonight, but we’re paid to make those decisions and sometimes they don’t.”
The Tigers take on GWS next Sunday trying to avoid a 0-2 start to 2022.
(Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Sydney will be without defender Jake Lloyd and rising star Chad Warner for their Round 1 clash with crosstown rivals GWS – but co-captain Dane Rampe is just relieved the toll isn’t worse.
The pair will sit out under the AFL’s health and safety protocols, joining Hawthorn’s Ben McEvoy and Luke Breust, West Coast’s Tim Kelly and Collingwood’s Will Hoskin-Elliott as unavailable players.
Rampe, who spoke to media via Zoom after the Swans blocked media from attending their training session due to the developing COVID situation in Sydney, said the last two years of dealing with COVID has made the group resilient enough to deal with the latest setback.
“The good thing is the last two years we’ve had a lot of practice at doing it. It just seems a little bit like Groundhog Day,” he said.
“To be honest, we’re not rattled by it at all, it’s just the nature of the environment at the moment.
“Our boys take pride in seeing it as an opportunity, and we’ll do that this week should something present itself.
“It is a little bit annoying having to deal with stuff for a few days, but that’s the reality of it, and we’re going to keep on keeping on.”
In Warner’s stead, the Swans have named high draftee Angus Sheldrick for his AFL debut, while former number one draft pick Paddy McCartin has been named for his first Sydney game in one of the feelgood stories of the week.
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