Track Watch: Tiger Out Early, Don’s Hammy Setback, Saints’ Tough News

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A promising Richmond defender has been ruled out of the ‘early rounds’ of the season, while a pair of draftees suffered setbacks. Plus, a setback for a gun Bomber, and St Kilda’s pre-season injury toll continues to mount.

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Injury-troubled key backman Josh Gibcus will officially miss the early portion of the Tigers’ campaign as he continues rehabilitating a long-term knee injury that cut his ‘24 campaign short.

Meanwhile, rookies Josh Smillie and Jasper Alger will undertake modified programs after picking up minor injuries in last Friday’s match simulation.

The 21-year-old Gibcus ruptured his ACL against Carlton in Round 1 last year and has been eased into the year, with the club on Tuesday confirming the former No.9 draft pick would not return to action until after April.

“Josh, in 2023, underwent surgery to repair his hamstring after a significant strain, which was backed up by his ACL injury last year,” Richmond High-Performance Manager Ben Serpell said.

“So, he has had two traumatic injuries season on season, which is why what we decided to do is take a conservative approach with him.

“He went a bit slower through the early stages of his rehab than we would have liked, but we cannot do anything about that because everyone’s body responds in different ways.

“So, he is still a long-term injury prospect but is tracking quite well otherwise. We are unlikely to see Josh in the early rounds. And as I have said earlier, Judson Clarke is the one leading the way among the ACL guys and he is looking at coming back around April.”

Smillie suffered a ‘minor hamstring issue’, while Alger hyper-extended his knee during last Friday’s match practice, but the Tigers believe both players are still in contention for the club’s upcoming pre-season hitouts.

The Tigers will take on West Coast in an unofficial match simulation in Perth on February 17, before their Community Series match against Collingwood on February 26 at Ikon Park.

Crucial Essendon defender Jordan Ridley has suffered a hamstring ‘setback’, per Seven’s Mitch Cleary.

The 26-year-old, who managed just nine games last season due to quad and hip flexor issues and travelled overseas to see injury specialists during the off-season, won’t suit up for Essendon’s match simulation against the Bulldogs on February 15.

Instead, Cleary says ‘the aim’ is for Ridley to play in the Bombers’ Community Series clash with Geelong on February 25.

Essendon extended Ridley’s contract by three years last February, taking his commitment at the Hangar to the end of 2029.

At Moorabbin, star ruckman Rowan Marshall is in doubt for Round 1, and exciting hybrid Mattaes Phillipou is set to miss the start of the season after scans revealed a stress fracture in his right leg.

The bad news for Phillipou comes after the club revealed Marshall was headed for scans to assess a stress fracture in his pelvis while also managing a back issue after Dougal Howard dislocated his shoulder during training yesterday, with no clear timeline on his return.

St Kilda football boss Dave Mission revealed Marshall had been on a limited training program and his immediate playing future is unclear.

“Rowan’s going for a CT scan tomorrow to assess the extent of a stress fracture in his pelvis,” Misson said.

“He’s been on modified duties since last week to assist with the management of the injury, but we’ll have a better idea of his recovery after the scan tomorrow.

“We’re hopeful that Rowan will be available for Round 1 or soon thereafter.”

Misson said 20-year-old Phillipou has been enjoying one of his best pre-seasons.

“This is an extremely disappointing development for Mattaes,” Misson said.

“It was clear he’d taken the lessons he learned last year into his off-season and came back ready to attack 2025.

Mattaes Phillipou will miss the start of the season. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

“Mattaes pulled up a bit sore on Friday, so we monitored his recovery over the weekend. His pain was still present on Monday, so we sent him off for scans that confirmed the diagnosis.

“He’ll be on crutches for the next couple of weeks, then we’re looking at 10-12 weeks of rehabilitation and reloading after that.

“It’s a tough pill to swallow, but Mattaes’ maturity and commitment is far beyond his years, and we’re sure he’ll tackle this period with the professionalism we’ve come to expect from him.”

Key defender Howard, 28, left the ground after receiving the injury in a standard marking contest during the session.

“Dougal is going for scans this morning, so we’ll await those results before assigning a return-to-play timeline,” Misson said.

“Recovery from an injury like this can really range from days to weeks, so we won’t speculate until we have that clarity.”

Hunter Clark (groin) is making strides, while Liam Henry (knee) has resumed portions of training, closing in on a return to full training in the coming weeks.

INJURY LIST

Clark, Groin, 2-3 weeks

Henry, Knee, 4-6 weeks

Tauru, Back, 4-8 weeks

Marshall, Pelvis, 5-8 weeks

Phillipou, Leg, 10-14 weeks

Howard, Shoulder, TBC

Dow, Knee, TBC