Sam Lalor, Zach Reid to miss rest of 2025, Adelaide Crows star Josh Rachele avoids ACL tear
Two young stars in Sam Lalor and Zach Reid’s seasons are over, while another star Don is set to go under the knife. Plus see the latest on Josh Rachele’s knee.
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Richmond No. 1 pick Sam Lalor will consult surgeons for advice on potential surgical intervention after a third hamstring injury to the same leg ended his season.
The young star Tiger reinjured his left hamstring just minutes into Saturday’s loss to Geelong.
He had spent the previous six weeks on the sidelines with a hamstring issue.
Richmond medicos said on Monday the new issue was completely different to the previous concern but Lalor will engage with a range of surgeons in a bid to explore whether there are any options available to him.
“We are a bit concerned about the integrity of the hamstring structure,” Richmond high performance chief Ben Serpell said.
“As part of that we will consult a few surgeons over the next little while to see if there is some surgical intervention available for us.”
“…we are all devastated for the young man, and I am sure our fans are too.
“After a strong, meticulous rehab, unfortunately, he did re-injure his hamstring. It is his third time on that hamstring and the second (occasion) with us.”
Serpell said the 18-year-old had ticked every box in the lead-up to his return, quashing the suggestion that the club had rushed him back too quickly.
“The injury mechanism here for Sam this time was very different to his original injury mechanism,” he said.
“He sustained the injury in a tackle. I think anyone who throws their body at the game (in the same way) as he did, and credit to him for doing that, is going to put their body at some risk irrespective of their injury history.”
Meanwhile, two Dons are set for surgery as Zach Reid has another season cut short by injury.
Reid consulted a surgeon last week and the Bombers have decided to put the young defender on ice.
Essendon GM Daniel McPherson said it was disappointing for Reid.
“It’s a tough blow for ‘Reidy’ to be ruled out for the year. However, we believe the surgical option offers him the best chance for a full recovery,” McPherson said.
“He’s demonstrated exactly why he’s so highly rated during the first 11 games this season. He remains a key part of our future. “We eagerly anticipate his return to a full pre-season and a big year ahead in 2026.”
Meanwhile, Jye Caldwell is also set to be sidelined with a syndesmosis injury, with the midfielder also set to go under the knife.
McPherson said there was no recovery timeframe for Caldwell yet.
RACHELE AVOIDS ACL RUPTURE
Adelaide small forward Josh Rachele has avoided an anterior crucial ligament rupture in a relief for the Crows.
But the club is still determining the extent of the 22-year-old’s knee injury, sustained during the home victory over Melbourne on Sunday.
Scans cleared Rachele of ligament damage but Adelaide was unsure how long he would be sidelined.
The Crows are expected to provide an update in the next few hours.
Adelaide has seven more games before finals, so anything sidelining him for longer than that will be jeopardise his major-round availability.
Rachele was subbed out of the game after landing awkwardly on his left leg late in the first half and Nicks gave little away when asked about his prognosis after the game.
“It’s one that we’re really mindful of not making any big statements around because we don’t know,” Nicks said.
“We won’t know until he has a scan, but it was enough of a concern that we had to sub him out.
“And without going into any more detail, it’s going to be a scan and our fingers are crossed.
“I haven’t seen him as yet, but I’d say he’d be pretty disappointed, as you can imagine.
“But we’ll just hope for the best … we’ll have positive thoughts.”
Injury latest: Young Tiger’s cruel blow
– Jon Ralph
Richmond No. 1 overall pick Sam Lalor’s season is likely over given his history of serious hamstring concerns in another nightmare weekend of injuries for the Tigers.
On Sunday in the VFL Taj Hotton’s third consecutive polished display put him in line for an AFL debut and Jayden Short got through his return from a calf injury.
But key forward Jacob Bauer suffered a suspected ACL tear, only weeks after Judson Clarke’s third ACL tear.
Lalor lasted only minutes in his comeback from hamstring concerns against Geelong, injuring the left hamstring that had tendon damage last year.
All of his hamstring injuries have been to the left hamstring.
Richmond will be keen to rule out more tendon damage for Lalor but he is likely to be shut down for the season regardless of the diagnosis given his second hamstring concern of the year.
Surgery is a possibility for Lalor if those scans reveal tendon damage.
Lalor is the third of Richmond’s high draft picks to suffer hamstring concerns this year with Harry Armstrong about to return from his own hamstring tendon injury.
The club’s No. 7 draft pick Josh Smillie is still a week or two away after a conditioning phase after his hamstring injury in the VFL.
Richmond had given Lalor five weeks off and held him back last week when he was medically ticked off to ensure he was fit to take on Geelong.
Lalor played only four Coates Talent League games and missed testing at the national combine given a left hamstring tendon injury last year.
So Richmond will have to find a way to strengthen his hamstrings to ensure it does not become a career-long issue.
Richmond has Noah Balta out for the next two weeks given his court-ordered curfew.
Richmond takes on Essendon at 7.35pm next week, then plays West Coast in an 8.10pm game in Perth the following week.
His court order which prevents him from being out past 10pm expires after round 19 on July 22.
St Kilda’s Jimmy Webster suffered a calf injury in the loss to Hawthorn and will have scans to assess the damage.
He came off Marvel Stadium in the second quarter and was replaced by Brad Hill.
St Kilda hopes Zaine Cordy will be ready to return from a pectoral tear next week, with Mattaes Phillipou 2-3 weeks away with a calf complaint.
Essendon is sweating on ankle scans for midfielder Jye Caldwell after he could not finish the clash against Gold Coast.
The club will be hopeful Mason Redman (ankle) is available against Richmond but Caldwell will be assessed during the week.
“Jye rolled his ankle. It was sore enough that six minutes to go we didn’t want to put him back on. We will have that scanned and when we have scans at the moment its usually not a good thing.”
Xavier Duursma had a back spasm before the game but he was able to take part in the loss to the Suns.
Originally published as Sam Lalor, Zach Reid to miss rest of 2025, Adelaide Crows star Josh Rachele avoids ACL tear
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