AFL 2024: Richmond stars Dustin Martin, Tim Taranto battle back injuries

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AFL 2024: Richmond stars Dustin Martin, Tim Taranto battle back injuries

Richmond needs to see Dustin Martin “train really strongly” on Thursday for the superstar to play his first game in a month as Tim Taranto also manages a back concern.

Martin, 33, was hardly sighted at Punt Road in the three weeks after he was subbed out of the Tigers’ round 16 loss to Carlton after suffering back spasms.

But Tigers fitness boss Luke Meehan said the triple Norm Smith medallist had put together a good week of training and was in calculations for Saturday’s clash against North Melbourne.

With the two sides level on the bottom of the ladder with two wins apiece, the result could determine who receives the wooden spoon and No. 1 draft pick.

Camera IconDustin Martin and Tim Taranto will be tested on Thursday ahead of a North Melbourne clash which will shape the bottom of the ladder. Michael Klein Credit: News Corp Australia

“Dustin’s been training pretty hard the last week or so. Again, he needs to train really strongly on Thursday, and we’ll make a call on him then,” Meehan said on Tuesday.

“Tim (Taranto) developed a bit of lower back pain early in the game (against Collingwood). “He’s pretty tough, Tim, and he sort of battled along to halftime. We thought we’d try and get him to see if he could get going again in the third quarter, and he just wasn’t able to. So, we subbed him out.

“He’s pulled up pretty well from the game. At this stage we have to see how he trains on Thursday, so he’s a test.”

Meehan said luckless spearhead Tom ****** was “back into full training”, but the key forward’s return date still ******** listed as two to three weeks.

It’s the same return timeline he was initially given when he suffered the hamstring strain against Hawthorn in round 14.

“We’re going to put a couple of weeks’ work into (******) and then we’ll make a decision on what we do with him then,” Meehan said.

Meehan said returning duo Marlion Pickett and Maurice Rioli would both be held back the Kangaroos clash and would be put through a “really hard training session” on Saturday morning after they made comebacks through the VFL last week.

Both were expected to push for selection against St Kilda in round 22.

Brisbane on Tuesday confirmed key defender Harris Andrews was set to clear concussion protocols and take his place against the Saints on Sunday.

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