RICHMOND youngster Jack Higgins will undergo brain surgery this month and is set to miss part of the 2020 AFL season.
Higgins, who has been sidelined since he was diagnosed with a brain bleed in July, faces a six-month recovery period after his surgery.
Tigers general manager of football Neil Balme said while it had been hoped Higgins would be able to undergo a less invasive procedure, the 20-year-old was now only expected to return to football late next season.
“No one is underestimating how uncomfortable this is for the poor kid, and while they were hoping for a different procedure, that hasn’t quite fixed everything,” Balme told the AFL website.
“The positive out of all this is there is still the same expectation for him – that he will fully recover and return to football when he is ready.
“With brain surgery, no one can be certain with recovery time frames.
“It is obviously very challenging, but again, the positives out of it are that once he gets through it, he will be as good as new.”
Higgins had experienced headaches after a VFL game in July and was treated for a season-ending brain bleed.
Scans confirmed the young Tiger had an abnormality that made him more susceptible to brain bleeds.
Higgins played 13 AFL games this year, following 20 appearances and 15 goals in his rookie season in 2018.
© AAP 2019
