Blues’ big blow after horror summer; Swans worrying voids: Every AFL club’s injury state of play

The AFL season kicks off next weekend with Opening Round.

A host of clubs are battling injuries – some more serious than others – with many racing the clock to be available including several setbacks last weekend on the eve of the new campaign.

Below is every AFL club’s injury state of play.

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ADELAIDE CROWS

The Crows were hit with a fresh injury blow against West Coast on the weekend, with Riley Thilthorpe to miss the start of he season with a knee injury after scans showed damage to the former Pick 2’s meniscus. The extent of the issue and timeline on a return isn’t yet clear, but it’s an untimely setback on the eve of the season for Thilthorpe, who by all reports has had a big pre-season. Mark Keane is meanwhile touch and go to play Round 1 after getting knocked out by Sam Powell-Pepper in the clubs’ pre-season clash last month to leave the Crow’ defence, already missing Nick Murray, thin. Otherwise, Rory Sloane is on the road back from a second bout of eye surgery and Harry Schoenberg form an Achilles issue, with their return dates uncertain.

BRISBANE LIONS

Outside of Will Ashcroft and Tom Doedee (both ACLs), the grand finalists enter 2024 with a near full clean bill of health. Conor McKenna (hamstring) is the only other Lion sidelined, but could be in the mix to play Opening Round against Carlton, if not, early in the season. Doedee is meanwhile expected to make his return early in the season too, while Ashcroft, who ruptured his ACL in Round 19 last year, will be a longer way off.

CARLTON

It’s been a grim off-season on the injury front at Ikon Park – not necessarily for the amount of casualties, but the personnel. Sam Walsh, who’d been put on a modified program after experiencing back soreness – a problem that sidelined him to start last season – has been ruled out at least the first two rounds of the season. Jacob Weitering is expected to miss the early rounds of the season with a calf injury, and you sense the Blues will take an ultra conservative approach with their star defensive general to ensure it’s not an issue that lingers. Just last weekend, Jesse Motop (jarred toe) exited the team’s practice match against Melbourne at quarter-time and didn’t return, with the small forward to miss one to two weeks. He joins Jack Martin (knee) and Caleb Marchbank (illness) on the sidelines, while Corey Durdin (hamstring) and Matt Owies (calf) will be available for selection for the Blues’ Opening Round clash with Brisbane. Elsewhere, Zac Williams (ACL) got through his return via the VFL unscathed and Elijah Hollands won’t be available for selection until Round 3. Of course, Jack Silvagni will miss the entire season after rupturing his ACL in January.

COLLINGWOOD

In addition to Dan McStay (ACL), the reigning premiers’ key position stocks took another hit when Nathan Kreuger suffered a hamstring injury in the VFL practice match last week, expected to sideline him for six weeks. The Pies were dealt another scare last weekend when Norm Smith medallist Bobby Hill came off with a potential hamstring concern, but it proved to just be cramp in a sigh of relief. Collingwood’s top draftee Harry DeMattia, who’d impressed over the pre-season, is expected to miss up to two months with a finger injury.

ESSENDON

There’s a few concerns for the Bombers, who will almost certainly into Round 1 without a host of names in their full strength side. Jordan Ridley suffered a quad strain in the club’s practice match against Geelong and will miss at least Essendon’s season opener against Hawthorn. Meanwhile, Sam Draper has had a disrupted pre-season following groin surgery late in 2023 and Ben Hobbs (shoulder), Dylan Shiel (foot/knee) and Jake Kelly (hamstring all won’t be available until the early weeks of the season. Top draftee Nate Caddy missed both the Bombers’ pre-season hit-outs due to soreness after landing awkwardly at training.

FREMANTLE DOCKERS

After suffering delayed concussion symptoms after a clash with West Coast’s Reuben Ginbey, Luke Jackson missed the Dockers’ pre-season match against Port Adelaide. It adds to a few concerns at Fremantle, none bigger than Brennan Cox’s leg stress fracture that’s disrupted the defender’s pre-season. Cox is however still expected to push his case for Round 1. Elsewhere, the likes of Michael Frederick (hamstring), Nathan O’Driscoll (knee) and Jye Amiss (knee/quad) have battled numerous ailments, having missed last weekend’s pre-season match against Fremantle, while Heath Chapman (hamstring) is set to miss the start of the season.

GELEONG CATS

The Cats were having one of the best injury runs of any side prior to Cam Guthrie’s serious quad injury seconds into the club’s match simulation game against Carlton, expected to sideline the midfielder for up to 10 weeks. It’s a cruel blow for Guthrie after most of his 2023 was wiped by injury and to Geelong’s lean midfield.

GOLD COAST SUNS

Exciting Pick 3 draftee Jed Walter broke his collaborate at training in late January to disrupt the start of the young key forward’s career. There’d been some uncertainty around Ben King’s availability for Opening Round due to knee swelling, but the star forward played the majority of the practice match against GWS to signal he’ll be right to go.

GWS GIANTS

Fin Callaghan, Isaac Cumming and Harry Peryman are all in doubt to face the Magpies in the Opening Round clash, with Callaghan seemingly the closest to returning. Adding to the Giants’ injury concerns was Brent Daniels (heel soreness) being withdrawn from their pre-season clash against Gold Coast at half-time, though GWS said it was a precautionary move. Darcy Jones, who’s debut 2023 season was wiped by an ACL injury, missed both the club’s practice matches with a knee issue then tonsillitis in untimely setbacks on the eve of the season.

HAWTHORN

Hawthorn’s injury decimation this pre-season has been well-documented, as key-position defenders James Blanck (ACL, season), Denver Grainger-Barras (toe, 12 weeks) and Will McCabe (back, 12 weeks) will all be absent for periods this year. Rebounding backman Changkuoth Jiath (hamstring, six-to-eight weeks) saw his soft-tissue hindrances persist, while midfielder Will Day (foot, three-to-five weeks) will have a delayed start to the new season. The ravaged Hawks did receive some relief, however, with dynamic forward Dylan Moore (glandular fever) expected to make a recovery in time for the club’s season-opener against Essendon on March 16. Mercurial forward Chad Wingard continues to rehabilitate a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered in Round 22 last year.

MELBOURNE

After a tumultuous summer, Clayton Oliver is expected to suit up for the Demons against Sydney next week in a welcome sight for Dees fans. However Harrison Petty (toe), Lachie Hunter (calf) and Shane McAdam (both calf) all face delayed starts to the season, while Kysaiah Pickett (suspension) will miss the clash against the Swans to leave Simon Goodwin’s forward line undermanned. A timeline for the return of forward Ben Brown (knee) remains up in the air, while newly-imported ruck-forward Tom Fullarton (hamstring) returned via a VFL practice match at the weekend. Jake Melksham (ACL) is likely to miss this season, while Joel Smith’s timeline for return from suspension is indefinite. Of course, in a massive blow on the eve of the season, Angus Brayshaw retired due to concussion.

NORTH MELBOURNE

Jy Simpkin was knocked out by Jimmy Webster in last weekend’s practice match in an unfortunate blow set to sideline the Roos co-captain. Luke McDonald (hamstring), Aidan Corr (ankle) and Eddie Ford (both ankle) all missed that game too, while Bailey Scott returned from a calf issue that disrupted his pre-season. Elsewhere, Jackson Archer has battled a groin injury and Griffin Logue is expected to return mid-season from his ACL blow.

PORT ADELAIDE

Star midfielder Zak Butters suffered a sprained ankle during Port’s Community Series clash with Fremantle last Friday, but it appeared a precautionary move, with the impactful ball-getter expected to suit up for the Power against the West Coast Eagles in Round 1. Fellow on-baller Willem Drew (shoulder) and sharpshooting key forward Todd Marshall (foot) returned against the Dockers after being managed in the Power’s first pre-season clash.

RICHMOND

Jack Graham (quad, three-to-five weeks) was the key casualty to come out of Richmond’s pre-season, brutally succumbing to the ailment very late in the Tigers’ final tune-up against Collingwood last Tuesday. Spearhead forward Tom Lynch (foot) has already been rubbed out of Richmond’s season-opener against the Suns, but the club is aiming for the gun goalkicker to suit up for its traditional early-season clash with Carlton. Premiership stalwarts Dion Prestia (hamstring) and Dylan Grimes (calf) overcame complaints to play against the Magpies, while improved utility Rhyan Mansell (syndesmosis, TBC) suffered an unfortunate setback in Richmond’s match simulation against Melbourne after an impressive pre-season. Emerging flanker Sam Banks (calf, test) is also under a cloud.

ST KILDA

Dougal Howard was the unlucky injury victim from St Kilda’s Community Series win against North Melbourne on Sunday, suffering a suspected hamstring strain late in the contest. Jimmy Webster’s impending suspension will leave another hole in Ross Lyon’s back six. Meanwhile, Jack Sinclair (calf, test) didn’t play in either of the Saints’ warm-up hit-outs and finds himself in doubt to play against Geelong at GMHBA Stadium on March 16. Marcus Windhager (hand, test), Hunter Clark (facial fracture, four-to-six weeks), Dan Butler (ankle, three-to-four weeks), Paddy Dow (knee, three-to-four weeks) and Jack Hayes (knee, five-to-six weeks) will have disrupted starts to their campaigns, while Ben Paton (pectoral, 12-16 weeks) will spend a longer period on the sidelines.

SYDNEY SWANS

Sydney’s engine room was one of the pre-season’s big losers injury-wise, losing invaluable veteran duo Luke Parker (broken arm, three-to-four weeks) and Taylor Adams (medial ligament strain, three-to-four weeks) on the eve of the season. The pair’s stints on the sideline compound the Swans’ unavailability in the midfield to start the 2024 campaign after skipper Callum Mills suffered a severe shoulder injury earlier in the off-season while wrestling a teammate. Mills, who was awarded Sydney’s sole captaincy this pre-season after previously sharing the duties with Parker and Dane Rampe, is expected to return some time in the middle of the year. Young ruck Lachlan McAndrew (wrist, test) is racing the clock to be available for the season’s start.

WEST COAST EAGLES

Recruit Matthew Flynn (hamstring, 10-12 weeks) will miss the opening portion of West Coast’s 2024 campaign after damaging his hamstring tendon during a routine ruck drill. Elsewhere, the Eagles are anticipating co-captain Oscar Allen (knee) to be available for the club’s season opener against Port despite the star forward being managed in the weekend’s practice match against Adelaide. Dom Sheed (foot, test) is stretching to play against the Power after having his training loads managed, while Reuben Ginbey (concussion, TBC) remains in the AFL’s 12-day protocols after suffering a hit during match simulation against Fremantle. Liam Ryan (hamstring, TBC), Elijah Hewett (foot stress, indefinite) and Jai Culley (knee, mid-season) are also presently out of action for the Eagles.

WESTERN BULLDOGS

Jack Macrae (hamstring, test) is racing the clock to be fit for the Bulldogs’ Round 1 clash with Melbourne, having played in the VFL practice match las weekend. James O’Donnell (ankle) was recently cleared of structural damage, paving the way to an uninterrupted start to the 21-year-old’s season after bursting onto the senior scene last year. It follows Bailey Smith’s cruel off-season ACL injury set to sideline the out-of-contract star for the entirety of 2023.