The fledgling AFL career of Richmond recruit Troy Taylor is in jeopardy after he was charged with assault.

The Tigers have confirmed the 18-year-old will face Alice Springs Magistrates Court on February 18 following an incident in the town on New Year's Eve.

It is understood that Richmond will wait until the outcome of the court case before deciding his future at the club.

Last week, new Tigers coach Damien Hardwick described Taylor as an "exceptional talent" and added that the club was known for giving players a second chance.

But in a club statement on Monday, chief executive Brendon Gale also made it clear that the Tigers expected Taylor to face up to his responsibilities.

"We knew Troy had a number of issues he was dealing with when we drafted him," Gale said.

"Richmond have a professional network of support helping Troy address his issues, but we have also advised Troy that he needs to take personal responsibility for the decisions he makes."

Richmond took him with the No.51 pick in last year's national draft.

The forward was a Northern Territory under-18 representative and is an agile player, with all-round skills and the ability to play against taller opponents.

He attracted interest from several clubs in the lead-up to the draft.

"He's a player we think we can have an enormous future with," Hardwick said last week.

Taylor has been in Melbourne for the past few weeks, training with the Tigers.

Like Richmond, St Kilda have also spent the past few weeks sweating on the outcome of a police investigation concerning a recruit.

The Saints have suspended Andrew Lovett indefinitely as police look into a complaint of sexual assault.

They gave their first-round draft pick at No.16 for Lovett in a trade with Essendon.

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