Kuwarna Senior Coach Matthew Nicks says key forward Riley Thilthorpe will be given all the support and time he needs, as he works through a back injury.

Thilthorpe’s 2026 campaign had been hampered by a back complaint, which forced him to withdraw from the team line-up ahead of Sir Doug Nicholls Round against North Melbourne.

Speaking to the media after his side’s 68-point win against the Kangaroos, Nicks explained what Thilthorpe had been dealing with and the decision behind withdrawing him from the game. 

“This is a guy who’s working through pain and lower back (and) for those who have had lower back, it’s hard to walk around, let alone playing a game of footy and being a key position forward,” Nicks said.

“He’s been working through that throughout the year and there’s a lot of noise around about ‘what’s going on with Thilthorpe’. We want to get Riley to at least 90 per cent.

“It almost got to the point this week where he just wanted to play and we had to help him with that decision.

“He doesn't want to not be out there for his teammates, but we need, and this is any player, but especially our key position player, we need to give him his best chance to perform the way he did last year.”

Nicks was hopeful Thilthorpe would resume training early next week but could not yet give a timeline for the 23-year-old’s return to the AFL side.

“We know there’s no player in the game at the moment playing at 100 per cent, the game is taxing, as I mentioned and it’s tough,” Nicks said.

“But Riley has been working so hard for us to be there for the team.

“It’s tough for him at the moment because of his body.

“Is it another week? We don’t know. He’ll be ready to train early in the week and hopefully, touch wood, we can get him back in, because he is a very important part of what we do.”