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Lalor eyes call up for a round one spot | 00:56
Richmond dual premiership forward Tom Lynch ‘can’t take a trick’, copping a head knock during match simulation on Friday.
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Assistant coach Steve Morris confirmed Lynch had entered the league’s 12-day concussion protocols, with the spearhead now in doubt to play in the Tigers’ trial hitout against West Coast on February 17.
“It’s a bit of a speed bump for him (Lynch), but he’s in really good nick, and we hope to see him back in the really near future,” Morris told reporters on Friday.
On whether or not Lynch would travel to WA to play the Eagles, Morris said: “He’s entered protocols, so I think there’s a few boxes to tick before we make a decision on that.”
Lynch has played just eight games across the last two season at Punt Road, with a mixture of hamstring and foot injuries preventing him from being on the park full-time.
There was also initial concern for second-year defender Jacob Blight after he exited training with a shoulder issue, but Morris says the 2024 mid-season draftee ‘got away with one’.
“We hope to see him full training again next week,” Morris said of Blight’s scare.
Swingman Jacob Koschitzke replaced Blight in the Black team’s defence on Friday — clearly the stronger of the two with senior regulars aplenty — and could find himself an early piece of Richmond’s defensive puzzle this season amid widespread unavailability.
Koschitzke, following an inauspicious maiden season at Tigerland playing in attack, has been training as a defender throughout the pre-season.
On Friday at Punt Road, Koschitzke initially spent match simulation with the Yellow side, which was mainly made up of fringe Tigers and a handful of VFL-listed players.
Morris said Koschitzke is “absolutely” pushing for a Round 1 berth in defence.
“Kozi is one of those players where we know what he’s going to give us up forward, but we want to find out whether there’s something more that we might be missing down back,” he said.
“With Noah missing the first part of the season, it’s important that we’ve got some insurance there (in defence), and Kozi’s putting his front foot forward.
“I’m looking forward to seeing his progression down back in our group of backs over the coming weeks.”
With Josh Gibcus (knee), Noah Balta (suspension) and Tylar Young (knee) out of action to start the season, there is a wide-open window of opportunity for the former Hawthorn forward.
Koschitzke was named at full back in the 2018 U18 All-Australian side.
Gibcus and Young will set sail for Samoa this Saturday with fellow ruptured ACL victims Mykelti Lefau, Taj Hotton and Judson Clarke, with Morris also travelling with the ailing quintet.
Also among those who donned Black on Friday afternoon were key defender Ben Miller — also competing with Koschitzke for a senior spot — No.1 pick Sam Lalor, rebounder Sam Banks and small forward Steely Green.
Lalor was busy and provided a physical presence, while Banks offered promising dash from the half-backline.
