UPDATE
Richmond has confirmed that Josh Gibcus has sustained a ruptured ACL in his right knee.
The 20-year-old defender landed awkwardly when spoiling in the second quarter of his side’s Round 1 clash with Carlton at the MCG.
Gibcus was playing just his second game back after missing the entirety of 2023 with hamstring issues.
“We are all incredibly disappointed for Josh. It is horrible luck after what he has already encountered on the injury front in his short career,” General Manager of Football Performance Tim Livingstone told richmondfc.com.au.
“Josh battled through last year with his head up and had put in a mountain of work to get himself back to full fitness for this season.
“We view Josh as a long-term player for us and an important part of our future, so we will give him all the support he needs and help him throughout his road to returning in 2025.
“He is still so young and has a lot of football ahead of him after this setback. We know the character and professional he is, that he will attack his rehab first-class and return stronger.”
EARLIER
Leading sports and exercise physician Dr Peter Larkins knew Josh Gibcus had done his ACL immediately after watching the Tiger go down on Thursday night.
Gibcus went down just before half-time in the 86-81 loss and had to be stretchered off after landing awkwardly in a marking contest.
While the youngster is yet to get scans on his knee, Richmond believes the 20-year-old has suffered a likely ACL tear and Larkins backs up that view.
The doctor says he did a “lounge room diagnosis” after watching the replay of the incident with a tell-tale sign suggesting the Tiger ruptured his ACL in his right knee.
“Well, the mechanisms are fairly predictable, there’s a certain way they (ACL injuries) happen,” Larkins said on SEN Breakfast.
“The media love to talk about hyper-extension all the time when the knee goes backwards in the banana angle.
“But the landing and then the twisting and rotation inwards is the classic one (for an ACL), but there are variations on it.
“Luckily, there were some clear views that came through on the TV feed because I was doing a lounge room diagnosis last night.
“The TV gave a few angles and one of them particularly just shows how the femur and the tibia, the two key bones in the knee, separated.
“There's a certain thing called a jerk … which is the behaviour of the knee, and that movement is always an ACL unless it's proven otherwise.”
Gibcus could miss the remainder of the 2024 season if scans confirm the worst.
The 20-year-old former No.9 draft pick did not play a game in 2023 because of a serious hamstring issue.
The Tigers also lost Dion Prestia (hamstring) and Tylar Young (concussion) during Thursday’s loss.
