EXCITING Richmond forward Jack Higgins will be released from hospital on Thursday morning, but will take no further part in the season after suffering a bleed on his brain.
The issue was caused by an "abnormality" in his blood vessels, something he's had since birth but had not been previously identified.
Higgins, who has played the last three weeks in the VFL, did not suffer the bleed due to a head knock and is expected to be fit to play in 2020.
"Without being a medico by nature, he has had an abnormality since birth, which has reared its head. It's a chance to pop up its head between the ages of 10 and 30, so obviously Jack falls into that time frame," coach Damien Hardwick said.
"He's got a group of blood vessels that aren't strong and naturally bleed. Obviously, he's had a bigger bleed that's caused the issue. He won't play again this year.
"He'll play footy again, which is really exciting for us and great for Jack. We're rapt. Our medicos did a terrific job detecting it and sending for scans. Now we know the solution, we just have to be patient and wait till that occurs."
Higgins will have surgery next week to repair the area of abnormal blood vessels responsible for the bleeding on his brain.
Hardwick said the playing group was continually kept informed after Higgins was hospitalised on Tuesday night, and the lively 20-year-old was in a typically upbeat mood.
"He's one of those guys – and it's what we love about this kid – you wouldn't know he's got a significant injury," Hardwick said.
"So he's in good spirits and he's pumped to get out of hospital today. I think he would have been driving the staff in there insane with his questions, but the great thing for us is he's on the mend."
In other news from Punt Road, number one ruckman Toby Nankervis will play managed minutes in the VFL this Sunday against Box Hill after nine weeks on the sidelines with a major adductor injury.
Mid-season draftee Marlion Pickett (finger) is also edging closer to his first game in the yellow and black.
"[Nankveris] missed a significant amount of football, and he'll be available for AFL selection hopefully next week against Collingwood," Hardwick said.
"[Pickett] will play some game time next week, which is really exciting. We didn't think we'd have him for the majority of the year...so we're really excited to see what he's got to offer.
"You can just tell this kid knows how to play the game. He has to play a little bit of VFL football, obviously, but I think we're all excited as a coaching staff to see how he goes."
