Richmond will wait to see how Noah Balta recovers from his return to action before deciding whether the premiership defender is recalled for the AFL clash with Gold Coast in round six.
Balta, who will be sentenced in court for assault on April 22, has served a four-match AFL ban and got through his comeback appearance in a VFL practice match on Sunday.
Tigers coach Adem Yze said Balta would be monitored in the coming days before a call is made on whether he plays his first senior game of the season against the Suns at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night.
"We needed him to get a game under his belt and then it's depending on how he plays and how he pulls up," Yze said
"We'll assess how he played, how he pulls up and whether he warrants selection on the way that he played.
"We'll have those discussions later in the week."
Balta, 25, pleaded guilty in the Corowa Local Court to assault occasioning actual bodily harm which in NSW carries a maximum penalty of five years in jail.
Prosecutors said the actions of the 2020 premiership player, which hospitalised the victim Thomas Washbrook with head injuries, met the threshold of a high-level offence.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan was among people saying Balta shouldn't return to playing before sentencing.
"He's been through a lot so we're keen to get him in because he wants to earn the respect back of his teammates and club and our supporters," Yze said.
"To do that, he wants to get out on the field. He's doing that today, it's the first step of that.
"He'll help a lot of our young boys (in the VFL) ... and he's been terrific over the last month with some of our younger defenders.
"As I said, if he plays well enough he'll warrant selection and we'll have those discussions next week."
Balta would add much-needed experience to a Tigers side that has lost four-straight games since a surprise season-opening win over Carlton.
Yze dismissed concerns over fellow premiership player Tom Lynch, who was subbed out of the loss to Fremantle at three-quarter time.
"He was a bit sore. He copped a bit of a corky but was adamant he could go back on," Yze said.
"But we're going into a six-day break, it's bloody hot, he's a bit old and it was just too good of an opportunity to give our younger boys a go at playing together for a bit longer."
Yze also said Nick Vlastuin passed his concussion tests after a clumsy high tackle from Fremantle's Patrick Voss, which will likely come under scrutiny from the match review officer.
