Richmond youngster Josh Smillie is set for an operation on his quad after a "minor" issue exposed itself following the off-season.
Smillie has yet to play on an AFL field after he was drafted with Pick 7 in the 2024 intake, and has played only four reserves matches as he dealt with conditioning and soft-tissue problems.
He was set to return to the club along with the first-to-fourth-year players; however, his latest setback will limit his program, with the plan to return to full training at the end of January.
Scans found that the Tiger midfielder had shown little healing progress in his quad, which has plagued him for the better part of his maiden season.
"Josh has worked hard in his rehab to overcome this issue and is running at high speed, but progress is not being made in how his quad responds when he tries to extend his kicking, so we have consulted surgeons about how we can make a lasting improvement on this," Richmond football boss Tim Livingstone said.
"Again, the issue in isolation is only minor, but we want to get ahead of it. So, he will have the operation and commence his rehabilitation right away.
"It is a temporary setback for Josh, who was aiming to have a full pre-season and has got himself into excellent aerobic condition. But we are confident this will best set him up not only for this season but for his entire career.
"The plan is for Josh to be back full training toward the end of January and available for match play in February."
It was reported by Channel 7's Xander McGuire that fellow top 10 draftee Sam Lalor has successfully returned to full training after undergoing hamstring surgery.
Lalor was ruled out of the 2025 season from Round 17 following a recurrence upon his return to the senior side.
The Pick 1 selection played 11 games in his first year at the level.
