RICHMOND forward Tyrone Vickery will miss this Saturday's match against the Sydney Swans at the MCG with a calf strain, while fellow tall forward Ben Griffiths, who has been playing with the Coburg Tigers, has been sidelined with a strained knee ligament.
Richmond coach Damien Hardwick described Vickery's injury as a shame, saying his work rate indicated that a big game was around the corner.
In better news for the Tigers, defender David Astbury will make his return from a knee injury that kept him out since the middle of last season by playing a half in the Coburg Tigers' reserves this weekend.
"We showed some vision to our midfielders today where in the first quarter [against Port Adelaide on Sunday] he was open three or four times by about 15 metres, but we just didn't spot him up inside 50.
"The harsh reality of a key forward is that at stages you get used and at other stages you don't. "
Tigers wingman Shane Edwards was substituted on for Vickery during the third quarter of Richmond's 37-point victory over Port Adelaide on Sunday.
"He fulfills a role," Hardwick said of Vickery. "Now we have to find another player to play that role."
The main candidates are Angus Graham and Tom Derickx, who've been in handy form with VFL affiliate Coburg Tigers.
Graham has been playing in the ruck while Derickx has been playing in the Vickery role of tall forward who can be called on for ruck duties.
Key position players Todd Elton and Jayden Post have also shown glimpses with Coburg.
Hardwick said Griffiths' injury was more back luck for a player who's had many setbacks since arriving at Punt Road before the 2010 season.
"He's one of those players who just can't get the rub of the green," Hardwick said.
"He's an important part of our future. We've just got to get his body right."
Richmond plays the Sydney Swans, Essendon, Hawthorn and St Kilda in the next four rounds.
"There's a lot of sides around about where we are," Hardwick said.
"I think the next four or five games is crucial.
"We've been relatively consistent thus far.
"We just need to start getting wins on the board to get us where we need to be."
Richmond has had some good fortune with the news that Adam Goodes will miss Saturday's game with a thigh strain that he sustained during the Swans' five-point loss to Adelaide at AAMI Stadium last Saturday.
"Although they've lost Adam Goodes, they've still got a high quality side," Hardwick said.
"They've got depth across the field. It's what makes them a great side."
The Tigers' biggest worry this weekend is likely to be midfielder Josh Kennedy.
Hardwick said a measure of Kennedy's standing is the fact that he leads the coaches' association votes, with 39, ahead of Collingwood's Scott Pendlebury on 38.
Kennedy last year had nine clearances in the Swans' 10-point victory over Richmond in round 12 and eight clearances in the Tigers' 43-point victory over the Swans in round 21.
"He's just so hard to stop in those contested situations, so we've got our work cut out for us."blog comments powered by Disqus
