THE INJURY crisis at Richmond could prompt the AFL to allow the Tigers to pick a VFL-listed player in the 26-man squad for this Friday night's Dreamtime at the 'G clash against Essendon. 

Adem Yze had only 25 fit players to pick from ahead of Sunday's game against St Kilda at Marvel Stadium. Caleb Smith and Samson Ryan were held out of the VFL game against Box Hill ahead of the five-day break into round 11, while Mykelti Lefau was dealing with soreness and was managed.

Campbell Gray underwent a scan on his hamstring on Monday morning after sustaining the injury in the 36-point loss at Marvel Stadium and isn't expected to be available this Friday night.

Steely Green and Luke Trainor both dislocated their thumbs and had them scanned. Sam Cumming also copped a corked quad, while Nick Vlastuin will come under MRO scrutiny for a tackle on Ryan Byrnes. 

Richmond GM Tim Livingstone has been in contact several times with the League's executive general manager of AFLW, health and football operations Laura Kane this month to discuss contingency plans if the Tigers can't name a squad from their AFL list. 

But before Richmond can explore top-up options out of their VFL program, every available player on the list must be named in the squad, which would mean, for example, Tom Sims would have to return at AFL level this Friday night, rather than via the VFL in his first game since undergoing surgery to repair a navicular stress fracture at the end of last season.

The Tigers plan for Sims to play managed minutes in the reserves on Saturday morning at Windy Hill. Jasper Alger is also set to return from a MCL injury and play his first game since round three.

The five-day break between St Kilda and Essendon games complicates matters for the Tigers, who have also held discussions with the AFL in the event of an illness outbreak, like West Coast experienced in 2022. 

The Eagles called on six WAFL top-up players that season due to COVID-19 outbreaks – Angus Dewar, Aaron Black, Stefan Giro, Declan Mountford, Brayden Ainsworth and Jake Florenca – when the club required non-listed players.

In the event this unfolds, Richmond would only have access to players on its VFL list, not other state league clubs like with the COVID-19 top-up players. 

Richmond actually has two players in that team who have attracted interest from multiple clubs ahead of next Tuesday's Telstra AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft in forward Sam Toner and defender Mutaz El Nour, while the club has also met with Zaydyn Lockwood and Ned Renfree. 

VFL-listed Tigers Liam George, Harry Scott, Daniel Lowther, Mohammed Yassine  and former Saint Leo Connolly were all among the first 200 nominations last week. 

Richmond faces Sydney in round 12 before the club's desperately needed mid-season bye. By that stage, Dion Prestia, Sam Banks, Maurice Rioli and Harry Armstrong should all be available and this need for top-up players should be over. 

Unlike Essendon last year, which had four long-term injuries ahead of the Mid-Season Rookie Draft and took four players, Richmond only has Josh Gibcus out for the rest of 2026, while Josh Smillie has travelled to Philadelphia to meet with a reconditioning guru in a bid to play later this season.