Richmond are expected to be without all-Australian defender Bachar Houli for the season-opener against Carlton.
But prized key forward Tom Lynch is expected to be available for the season’s first game on Thursday next week, having made strong progress in his recovery from a sore toe.
Bachar Houli.Credit:Michael Wilson/Getty Images
Houli has been recovering from a calf injury and it appears unlikely that the Tigers will risk him, given his age and limited preparation. He “popped” his calf early in the 2020 grand final, but managed to stay on the field and play the game out – a critical effort in view of the loss of Nick Vlastuin to concussion.
Star midfielder Dion Prestia (hamstring) is also a reasonable chance to return for the blockbuster against the Blues, who will have most of their best 22 available, barring some longer-term absentees. But they face a decision on whether to include three players who have had limited or no match-play over the past few weeks and on the choice of player to replace suspended recruit Zac Williams.
Williams was handed a one-game ban by match review officer Michael Christian after a high hit on St Kilda’s Hunter Clark inside the opening minute of the club’s AAMI Community Series clash last week.
Christian graded the incident as careless conduct, medium impact and high contact – resulting in the one-game suspension.
Eddie Betts played in the VFL practice game on Friday, having overcome a calf that he tweaked in January and will be available, as will Levi Casboult (jarred knee) and Mitch McGovern (minor hamstring).
The Blues, however, may be reluctant to select all three of those players, bearing in mind that Casboult and McGovern have not played in either of the pre-season games against opposition, participating only in intra-club match simulations before their injuries.
