Richmond are hopeful Dylan Grimes will return before the AFL finals after scans revealed only “minor” damage to the hamstring he injured during Thursday’s victory over West Coast.
The two-time premiership player limped off in the second quarter of the 27-point win over flag rivals the Eagles at Metricon Stadium.
He will miss Wednesday’s meeting with Fremantle, after which the third-placed Tigers have a bye.
They will round out the home-and-away campaign with matches against premiership threats Geelong (September 11) and bottom side Adelaide (TBC).
“Grimes will miss the Tigers’ next match against Fremantle and the club will monitor his progress to assess his availability after the bye,” Richmond said in a statement on Friday.
“The injury is short term and Grimes will resume running on the weekend.”
While Grimes has been cleared of a significant tear, his history of soft-tissue injuries means a cautious approach is likely.
“Dyl’s had some history so we just have to be mindful with such an important player for us and one of the best defenders in the AFL,” Tigers coach Damien Hardwick said after Thursday’s win.
“We’ve got to make sure he’s right for when the whips are cracking.”
Richmond welcomed back ruckman Toby Nankervis for Thursday’s match in his first game since round five.
The dual premiership tall combined with Ivan Soldo to do a good job in controlling the impact of Eagles’ superstar Nic Naitanui.
With Mabior Chol having impressed in Nankervis’s absence, Hardwick is entering the final third of the season with a wealth of ruck options.
“We’re really impressed with Marbs,” Hardwick said.
“He was probably a little bit flat last week so it was sort of, his form had tapered off a fraction, but we’re really excited by what all those three boys can bring in.
“At various stages, we’re going to go two out of the three will play, we’ve just got to figure out what it looks like is the best option for us moving forward.
“The great thing about it as a coach, you’ve got three really good players that can come in and fulfill a role for us so we’re just going to pick the right option on the right day.”
