Richmond forward Jack Higgins booked in for further brain surgery

Richmond forward Jack Higgins remains optimistic he will return to the footy field after receiving a ‘terrible’ update from doctors about his brain surgery.

Richmond’s Jack Higgins kicks at goal. Picture: Michael Klein

Richmond livewire Jack Higgins will have brain surgery later this month which is expected to sideline the goalkicker for the bulk of next season.

Higgins, 20, has already undergone two less invasive procedures in an attempt to fix a blood vessel problem which caused him headaches in July.

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But surgeons have decided the second-year forward will need more serious surgery to correct the brain bleeding issue.

Based on specialist medical advice, Richmond is confident Higgins will be able to make a full recovery and return to playing late next season.

Richmond’s Jack Higgins faces a long recovery from brain surgery. Picture: Michael Klein

Higgins posted on Instagram today: “Unfortunately I got told some pretty bad news yesterday. My brain is still bleeding after the first surgery. However, I will be back in action in 2020. Thank you for everyone’s love and support. Love you guys.”

Tigers’ football manager Neil Balme said Higgins would likely need about six months to recover from the next operation.

“Initially the medicos were hopeful the angiogram would fix his problem and it did fix some of it, but not all of it, unfortunately,” Balme said.

“So, he requires more invasive brain surgery, and we don’t underestimate how serious and painful that will be for him to go through. It is a terrible thing.

“But the positive is we are expecting a really positive outcome, it has just taken a bit longer than what we initially thought.

“While we cannot be absolutely sure of timelines at this stage, we expect him to be able to make a full recovery and be fine to play next year.”

Get well Jack Higgins. Footy likes you playing for the Tigers.

— Mark Robinson (@Robbo_heraldsun) September 4, 2019

Richmond declared Higgins’ season was over after he was found to have suffered bleeding on the brain following a VFL match in July.

Following thorough examinations, it was decided Higgins needed surgical treatment to correct a blood vessel abnormality which he has likely had since birth.

The club has rallied around the popular goalkicker, with coach Damien Hardwick informing teammates of the latest development on Tuesday.

It comes as Richmond prepares to take on Brisbane in Saturday night’s qualifying final at the Gabba in a bid to lock in a third straight preliminary final berth.

Higgins was a revelation in his first season at Tigerland, booting 15 goals from 20 matches as Richmond bowed out in a shock preliminary final loss to Collingwood.

The No.17 pick in the draft finished fourth in the Rising Star award and shone off the field with his infectious and fun-loving personality.

While he spent some time in the VFL amid 13 senior matches this season, the Tigers say he is an important cog in their future plans and can graduate into the midfield.

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The Tigers have a swathe of exciting small forwards who played an integral role in their 2017 premiership, but could lose Dan Butler.

Butler today visited Carlton for a meeting about a potential move to the Blues for next season.

Carlton wants to bolster its small forward stocks and has also been linked to Port Adelaide tough nut Sam Gray. The Blues have played down reports about a move for Crow Eddie Betts.

After playing 23 games in the Tigers 2017 premiership, Butler has struggled to keep his place in the Tigers’ senior team, managing only seven games so far this season.