Richmond can’t explain Ty Vickery’s dramatic collapse against Fremantle

UPDATE: A RICHMOND fan thinks he has found the moment Ty Vickery became so dazed that he tried to take a mark 80m from the ball then collapsed.

Richmond Training. Richmond fans gather at Punt Road Oval to watch a training session as the Tigers get ready for their finals campaign. Tyrone Vickery. Picture: Eugene Hyland

RICHMOND admits it is mystified by Tyrone Vickery’s dramatic collapse against Fremantle which saw him attempting a mark while 80m from the ball.

The Tigers forward has been diagnosed with concussion despite Richmond finding no incident on game footage and Vickery being unaware of any heavy collision.

In footage captured by behind-the-goals cameras, he suddenly collapsed after becoming so dazed and confused he believed he was in a marking contest.

Vickery thrust his arms into the sky to mark near the 50m line as the ball was in a pack on the wing.

He will not play against Hawthorn on Saturday, with the club ruling out heatstroke as a cause of his collapse.

Richmond is hopeful his symptoms will subside but is treating his cause with caution given the uncertainty surrounding its cause.

Tigers football boss Dan Richardson told the Herald Sun opponent Alex Silvagni alerted doctors to Vickery’s condition after witnessing the incident.

“The symptoms are consistent with concussion but we have gone back and looked at the tape and he or we can’t ascertain where there might have been an earlier knock,’’ he said.

Shocking footage has emerged of Ty Vickery attempting a mark 80m off the ball.

“As to when the incident took place, we can’t get a handle on it. He didn’t alert us to a knock prior to it and just before he took a mark and was moving OK and not showing any symptoms so it is a bit of a mystery in that sense.

“The doctors don’t think heat had anything to do with it. He won’t play this week and like with any concussion and head injuries we take it very seriously and make sure the player’s safety is our primary concern.

“He has had a couple of concussions previously but not severe concussions. The doctors will be very thorough and won’t be taking any risks. We think he will be OK.”

But Richmond fan Rhett Bartlett, son of Tigers legend Kevin Bartlett, thinks he has found the incident that caused Vickery’s concussion.

Bartlett tweeted television footage on Thursday morning of Vickery attempting to lay a tackle in the first quarter and colliding with teammate Nathan Broad.

I found the impact that caused Ty Vickery's concussion. https://t.co/C4dG05g6Qt

— Rhett Bartlett (@rhettrospective) February 24, 2016

Richardson paid tribute to Silvagni for alerting club doctors.

“It is a credit to Fremantle and in particular Alex Silvagni who did his best to alert the umpire to something strange going on,’’ he said.

“Alex did the right thing and showed a duty of care to an opponent who was showing symptoms which were a bit strange.”

The Tigers will likely take a side approaching full strength to Beaconsfield on Saturday after playing a team full of kids against the Dockers.

But Ben Griffiths, crunched by Aaron Sandilands in an incident that saw the Docker suspended for Round 1, will have to pass a concussion test

Alex Rance, Dustin Martin, Trent Cotchin, Jack Riewoldt and Shane Edwards are among likely inclusions.

Ty Vickery leaves the field with a trainer after fainting during last weekend’s NAB Challenge match against Fremantle. Picture: Daniel Wilkins

Brett Deledio, managing his workloads given calf/achilles issues that have recently hampered him, might not play until the third NAB Challenge game.

The Tigers also have an intraclub game on Thursday March 17 — seven days before their season opener against Carlton — where Deledio might get another hitout.