LUCKLESS Richmond forward Chris Knights insists he'll play again despite another serious injury setback.

Knights began running on Saturday after having surgery on his hamstring in April.

It was the latest blow in what has been an awful past few years for the ex-Crow.

"I know that I haven't played my last game of football and I'm looking forward to coming back and just enjoying football at any level,” Knights told radio station 3AW.

"I feel like I have an obligation to the team to help out the young players and train hard … I want to come back and play AFL football but I'm going to be gentle in how I manage it mentally."

Knights tore the patella tendon off the bone during his first season at Punt Road (2013) after crossing from West Lakes, requiring season-ending surgery.

In May last year he underwent further surgery to remove a piece of floating bone from the knee, resulting in another 12-week stint on the sidelines before a quad strain again ruled him out.

This weekend marks Knights' second on the sidelines with his latest injury.

While the average return time for the surgery he had ranged between 10-12 weeks, he hoped to be available for selection in eight.

That could see Knights line up against West Coast in round 12 after the Tigers' bye.