The Richmond Tigers Australian Football League club has been dealt a fresh injury blow, with two of its young high-potential players set for extended time off the field after suffering new setbacks in training and VFL competition over the past week.
First-round draft pick Josh Smillie, who has yet to make his senior AFL debut after being recruited by Richmond at the end of 2024, re-teared a previous quad injury during a low-intensity kicking drill at club training last week. Ben Serpell, Richmond’s high performance manager, confirmed that while the re-injury did not damage the original surgical site where Smillie underwent treatment for his prior quad issue, there is currently no confirmed timeline for the young talent’s return to competitive play.
“To be clear, the original surgical site’s still intact, so we are going to shift him back to the TBC time frame,” Serpell told reporters. The high performance manager also acknowledged the deep frustration both players are feeling after their latest setbacks, noting that the entire club shares that disappointment. “Both Josh’s (Smillie and Gibcus) are clearly very frustrated with their injuries at this point in time, as is everyone at the Club. I think at this point in time it’s really important that we get our arms around these guys and support them through their respective recoveries and make sure that we get behind them as they progress forward.”
The injury news is similarly discouraging for key defender Josh Gibcus, who picked up an ACL strain during a Victorian Football League (VFL) match over the weekend. Gibcus was initially assessed for the knee injury in the first quarter of the game, cleared to return to play, but reported ongoing discomfort in the days following the match. A follow-up MRI confirmed the strain, which Serpell emphasized is not a full rupture, and did not occur on the same knee that Gibcus previously had reconstruction surgery on.
As the injury is an uncommon presentation, club medical staff will consult multiple specialist surgeons to weigh treatment options, including a non-surgical path that has already proven successful for another of the club’s players. “It is an uncommon injury, so we need to be considered with our approach for his return to play. We need to consult a number of different surgeons. We can see, for instance, Gab Seymour from our women’s program sustained a similar injury last year. She didn’t go through surgery, and she’s back out training. So we are hoping for the best for Josh,” Serpell said. The club plans to update supporters once a clear treatment and recovery plan is finalized for Gibcus, who will remain sidelined in the interim while the club assesses its options.