Toby Nankervis is set to lead Richmond out for its traditional season opener against Carlton after fellow co-captain Dylan Grimes underwent surgery on Monday.
The Tigers rate Grimes’ chances of playing in round 1 as “doubtful” as he recovers from an operation to repair a ligament injury to his left thumb.
He suffered the setback in the second quarter of Saturday’s 25-point defeat of Hawthorn at Devonport.
The 30-year-old starts the season eight games short of 200 and was announced with Nankervis as the captaincy successors for Trent Cotchin, who stood down in September.
This is the first time in Richmond’s VFL/AFL history that it will have co-captains.
Grimes has played 21 games or more in each of the past five seasons as a major part of the Tigers’ backline, including all three premierships.
His likely absence means top-10 draftee Josh Gibcus, who has turned heads all summer at Punt Road, is an even stronger chance of making his senior debut against the Blues.
Richmond star Jack Riewoldt told News Corp in February that Gibcus was an “exciting” prospect.
“I’ve been paired up against Josh Gibcus, our first-round draft pick, and he’s been playing a fair bit of football on me in the simulation drills and training drills and he’s been very impressive,” Riewoldt said.
“He’s athletically gifted, he’s competitive and he’s driven.
“When you’re a senior player and you see young kids coming into your football club; you want them to be ready and you want them to be thirsty for getting better and he ticks every box we need him to do.”
The Tigers play Carlton on Thursday night, March 17 at the MCG.
