What Would a Late-2026 Josh Smillie Return Have Needed to Prove?
Updated: Aug 30
The full RTSSG member feature, Josh Smillie finally feels like he's moving towards the light at the end of the tunnel., starts with a piece of Richmond evidence that deserves a second look.
In June, Adem Yze floated a four-to-six-week window for Josh Smillie to return to football after a first Richmond season dominated by injury setbacks.
Getting him back before season’s end looked like an obvious milestone. But a return date is not automatically the same thing as useful development.
If Smillie had made it back late in 2026, what would Richmond actually have needed to learn from those games?
Would the useful evidence have been AFL selection, VFL continuity, movement, contest work, midfield exposure or simply repeated healthy weeks?
What would have counted as progress rather than impatience? Would a late debut have changed 2027 expectations? What risk came with chasing the milestone?
What changes when another piece of evidence is added? What contradicts the obvious explanation, and what would Richmond need to prove next?
That is where the Public version stops. Read the full RTSSG member feature here.
Not a member yet?
RTSSG.com: Richmond News By Richmond People For Richmond People!
Comments