RICHMOND has lost its two most important players for at least a month, with scans ruling out veteran ruck Toby Nankervis and spearhead Tom Lynch.

Nankervis suffered a "contact" hamstring injury in the loss to Gold Coast, and has been ruled out for 6-8 weeks, while Lynch is not quite as serious, but will still sit out at least 4-5 weeks.

Veteran defender Nathan Broad will also sit out this weekend's match against Fremantle with a minor calf strain.

Possible ruck option Samson Ryan has recovered from the foot injury which saw him sidelined for some of pre-season, but it remains to be seen if he is fit enough to shoulder the majority of the load against the two-ruck Dockers.

"Samson's got through his rehab at this stage, and we're expecting him to have a little bit of game time this weekend," Richmond high performance manager Ben Serpell said. 

"We'll let the coaches make their decision on what level he plays at this weekend."

The long-term injury to Nankervis could open the door for what will be a remarkable debut for former NBL player Ollie Hayes-Brown, the only other recognised full-time ruck on Richmond's list.

A Category B rookie, Hayes-Brown started his time at Richmond playing for Old Ivanhoe in the VAFA in 2024 to develop his ruck skills, before finishing the season in the VFL, where he played last year.

Other than the ex-basketballer, Richmond is staring down the barrel of a variety of band-aid options of different shapes and sizes.

The Tigers threw key back Ben Miller into the ruck in the dying minutes of the loss to the Suns, which could be a possibility, given Richmond's depth in defence.

Mykelti Lefau was forced to shoulder the ruck load after Nankervis' injury, but the 195cm key forward conceded 13cm to Jarrod Witts, and he will be needed forward in Lynch's absence.

Richmond's other tall options are forwards Liam Fawcett (20 years old, one game), Jonty Faull (20) and Harry Armstrong (19), while defender Campbell Gray was used as second ruck in round one, but saw just 32 per cent game time.

Noah Balta can line up in attack and defence, and has played as a second ruck in the past, with Josh Gibcus ready to be recalled from the VFL should an extra defender be needed to fill a recently vacated gap.

In better news for the Tigers, classy youngster Taj Hotton is tracking well from his hip stress fracture, with positive follow-up scans. He does not yet have a timeline for his return.