RICHMOND will keep Graham Polak on its list next year, with the club hoping that the injured defender will be able to resume his career.

Polak suffered a severe head injury after he was hit by a tram after Richmond's loss to Carlton in round 14.

"Graham will stay on the list,” new Tigers football manager Craig Cameron was quoted as saying in Wednesday’s The Age newspaper.

“We just need to give him enough time to recover and find out to what level he can get to and I don't think anyone at the moment can give us that definitive answer.

"So we are going to give him every chance to play again."

The club is yet to ask the AFL for special permission to put Polak on the rookie list as he recovers, which would allow them another space on the senior list.

This strategy was employed by Essendon while the now retired Adam Ramanauskas recovered from cancer.

"We have spoken to the AFLPA (AFL Players’ Association) in terms of how we can help Graham but we haven't gone down the path of talking to the AFL in terms of special assistance."

"At this point we want to give Graham every chance and we don't want to say to Graham; 'You are off the list, there is nothing for you to aim at'."