Richmond youngster Judson Clarke has suffered more injury heartbreak after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee for the third time.

Clarke suffered the latest setback playing in the VFL on Saturday - a cruel blow just as he was on the cusp of an AFL recall.

The 21-year-old was playing his sixth game back after tearing his ACL for a second time in April last year

He first tore the ACL in his right knee in 2019 - two years before he was snared by Richmond with pick No.30 in the 2021 national draft.

Clarke kicked 11 goals for Richmond across 13 games in 2023, before his 2024 campaign was cruelled early by his second ACL tear.

The skilful left-footer re-signed with Richmond until the end of 2026 just last month, and he impressed with two goals from 27 disposals in the VFL last week.

But his AFL career now hangs in the balance following his latest setback.

"Judson is a great character and has worked so hard behind the scenes to get himself back playing football and into fantastic form," Richmond's general manager of football Tim Livingstone said.

"This is such an unfortunate setback for Judson, and we are all so disappointed that he will not be on the field for a little while.

"He will have the support of everyone at Richmond to come back again from this, and we know he will give it his all."

Fellow Tiger Campbell Gray, a mid-season draftee from last year who has been playing as a key back, has a posterolateral knee injury that does not require surgery.

He is expected to miss some football, with a timeline for his injury to be clearer in the coming days.