Jack Higgins is expected to spend a couple of more days in hospital to have further tests on a brain bleed.
The 20-year-old experienced headaches and was admitted to hospital on Tuesday to have brain scans.
Richmond General Manager - Football, Neil Balme, said Higgins would need extra tests over the coming days to find out the origin of the bleed, and what steps needed to be taken next to treat it.
"He had a bad headache the night before," Balme said on Wednesday morning.
"His dad rang the doc and [Jack] came in and saw him, and [the doctor] thought [Jack] better get a scan to have a look at him and it turns out he had a bleed on the brain which was totally unexpected from us.
"There was no serious incident that we were concerned about, so it's a worry, and we're concerned about him, but the feedback is that it's not terribly dangerous.
"But obviously it's pretty serious that it needs more tests, and we'll find out over the next couple of days what the prognosis is."
Higgins burst onto the scene last year after being selected at pick No.17 in the 2017 NAB AFL Draft, kicking the 2018 Coates Hire Goal of the Year against Collingwood in Round 19.
Richmond hasn't ruled out the energetic Tiger returning to football in 2019, but Balme said the club was still waiting on more information before making a call.
"If you know Jack he's so committed to his footy so the fact that he won't be able to play for a while won't be easy for him or for us," Balme said.
"It's all part of the journey. Hopefully it's not 'serious serious' and he can get over it and get back to playing footy really soon, but we honestly don't know that as yet."
