Richmond are set to make just one change to their line-up for the AFL grand final after Jack Graham was ruled out and Nathan Broad was given the green light to play.
The Tigers confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that the risk of Graham suffering another dislocation of the shoulder he injured in the preliminary final win over Geelong was too great for him to play against GWS.
Broad was knocked out in the third quarter of the MCG clash on Friday night, but coach Damien Hardwick confirmed he has been cleared to take his place in the back six.
“There’s probably going to be just the one change (because) Nathan Broad passed his concussion test today,” Hardwick told Fox Footy’s AFL 360 on Tuesday evening.
“That was a real positive for us.”
Graham injured his right shoulder in the first term of the preliminary final but returned to the field heavily strapped to help his side to a 19-point win.
Initial testing showed the damage wasn’t as bad as first thought, but he tested the shoulder again at a light session at Punt Road Oval on Tuesday and received bad news from medical staff and his coach.
“It was a tough day if I’m perfectly honest,” Hardwick said.
“He’s a terrific, combative player and what he did last week was simply outstanding … to be able to stay out on the field when he was obviously distressed.
“When it came down to it with the way that Jack plays the game he wasn’t going to be able to compete to the very best of his abilities so we probably made a decision that was quite traumatic for both of us in a way.
“But the reality is that we need to think about the 22 (players) as a whole.
“Jack, to his credit, took it really well … I think deep down he really knew he probably wasn’t going to be able to compete at his best.”
Jack Ross and Kamdyn McIntosh have been kept in reserve for the AFL grand final after they were held out of the Richmond team that won the VFL grand final, while Marlion Pickett pushed for a miracle AFL debut with a best-on-ground performance.