Hurt locker: Latest AFL injury news

Collingwood has revealed the extent of Jamie Elliott’s injury and the Pies are going to need a long-term replacement. All the latest injury news, including Lachie Whitfield’s return.

Tigers veteran Bachar Houli continues to make progress from a calf injury.

Collingwood expects Jamie Elliott to miss up to three months of football after he was forced to have surgery today on his broken leg.

Scans confirmed Elliott fractured his right fibula after attempting a mark in last night’s win over Carlton.

He requires scans on his ankle to determine if there’s further damage.

“At this stage it is likely that Jamie will need an extended period on the sidelines,” Collingwood footy boss Graham Wright said.

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An injured Jamie Elliott on Thursday night. Picture: Michael Klein

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“We’ll know more once the operation and further scans have been completed but the unfortunate expectation is that he will miss two or three months of football from here. He’ll do all the right things to be back as soon as possible and we look forward to having him back in the second half of the season.”

The fibula is the smaller of the two bones in the lower leg.

The 28-year-old had booted two goals before going down in a marking contest.

He was subbed out of the game and replaced by youngster Trey Ruscoe on the field.

Elliott’s place in the team against the Lions could be taken by first-year forward Oliver Henry who was dropped on the back of his quiet debut in Round 1 last week.

Hurt locker: Every club’s injury news

Check out how all 18 AFL clubs are tracking with injuries.

ADELAIDE

Gun midfielder Matt Crouch is two to three weeks away from rejoining main training with the onballer requiring a block of modified training after reporting groin soreness after a session last week.

Adelaide head of football Adam Kelly said the club would take a “cautious” approach with Crouch, who had surgery on his groin in the off-season, and missed out on the Crows stunning Round 1 win over Geelong.

That win came at a price though, with Jake Kelly (concussion/broken nose) and Luke Brown (Achilles) unable to finish the match through injury.

The Crows medical substitute Mitch Hinge dislocated his shoulder twice during the match and is also out for an unknown period of time.

The good news for the Crows is that Shane McAdam and Will Hamill should be fine for this weekend’s match with Sydney despite suffering ankle injuries.

Key defender Daniel Talia is now listed as a week away as he recovers from knee surgery, while Nick Murray is back from an ankle injury.

Jackson Hately and Luke Pedlar both missed the SANFL game on the weekend due to groin and abdominal soreness.

Pedlar will be back for the reserves clash against Port Adelaide on Friday but Hately won’t be back in time.

Ben Davis (ankle) is also back, as is young midfielder Ronin O’Connor (foot soreness).

Mitch Hinge is out for an indefinite period after twice dislocating his shoulder twice during the Crows’ Round 1 success.

BRISBANE

The only injury update at the Lions is defender Darcy Gardiner.

The 25-year-old missed most of the pre-season with a knee injury and it was hoped he would get some match fitness in last week’s VFL match.

However, he picked up a slight concern at training late last week and didn’t play.

Gardiner trained with the squad at the Gabba on Tuesday but will be a wait and see for this week.

Cam Rayner’s recovery is going well after suffering a heartbreaking ACL injury in the pre-season while Dan McStay is due to return in a month from a knee injury as well.

CARLTON

Defender Caleb Marchbank (calf) is at least another week away, as is forward Mitch McGovern (back).

Forward Jack Silvagni (shoulder) will miss a week after hurting himself against the Tigers, while Nic Newman (knee), Tom De Koning (back) and Charlie Curnow (knee) remain longer-term propositions.

Star forward Eddie Betts is expected to be named in the Blues’ 26-man squad.

COLLINGWOOD

Steele Sidebottom getting the all clear was the news every Pies fan wanted to hear. The Pies vice-captain has overcome a calf injury which kept him out of the season opener. The other good news at the Holden Centre was the quicker than expected improvement by Will Kelly from his collarbone injury.

But the positive news was quickly overshadowed by Elliot’s injury on Thursday night, with the forward expected to miss up to three months.

ESSENDON

Michael Hurley is finally back within the group at Tullamarine and making slow but significant progress from the serious hip infection that halted his season before it started.

While there is no indication of when he might be back playing again, the 30-year-old is at least back on a club program and enjoying the interaction with his teammates again.

“Hurls is improving every single day,” Essendon head of high performance Sean Murphy said. “He’s got his own program (and) he does one to two hours a day of genuinely strong exercises.”

The Bombers won’t rush Hurley in his recovery process, given how serious the infection was, with his long-term welfare the most important consideration.

Patrick Ambrose (foot) is making some steady progress in his recovery, while David Zaharakis (knee) is likely to play in the VFL this weekend.

Jake Stringer is ready to return after three quarters in the VFL last week.

Defender Micheal Hurley being back at the club is welcome news for Essendon fans.

FREMANTLE

The Dockers lengthy injury list got even longer on the weekend after key defensive duo Alex Pearce and Joel Hamling went down.

Pearce, who was playing as a forward, has injured the MCL in his left knee while Hamling has hurt the deltoid ligament in his left ankle.

Both will be out for at least a month.

Star forward Michael Walters will spend at least one more week on the sidelines but in better news for the Dockers Michael Frederick should be back for Round 2 as should ruckman Sean Darcy after recovering from a knee injury.

Luke Valente has also recovered from a calf complaint while Sam Sturt is also on the cusp.

Griffin Logue is still a week away with his hamstring, while Stephen Hill has done some guided running with a trainer but a return date from his hamstring injury is unknown.

Darcy Tucker is three weeks away with a hamstring injury of his own, while Rory Lobb will have an extended stint on the sidelines after hurting his knee in the Community Series.

GEELONG

All eyes are on midfielder Sam Menegola (shoulder), who has been cleared of serious damage and is pushing to face the Lions only six days after being subbed out.

Scans this week have revealed the AC joint injury is not as bad as first feared, although the Cats will need to seek approval from the AFL for Menegola to play given he was subbed off under the league’s new medical provisions.

Defender Jack Henry, who was overlooked in Round 1, is in line for a recall while star Mitch Duncan (ankle) could also return. Zach Tuohy impressed in a VFL practice game last week, along with Darcy Fort and first-year player Mac Holmes.

Cooper Stephens has suffered a medial injury to his right ankle, while star recruit Jeremy Cameron (hamstring) is at least a month away.

Sam Menegola has been given the all-clear but must now get approval from the AFL after being subbed out last week.

GOLD COAST

Matt Rowell’s knee injury will be a huge blow to the Suns 2021 campaign, having been ruled out for around three months with a PCL tear.

The Suns young gun injured his knee in the opening quarter of the season opener against West Coast, with the club revealing he may be out until the back end of the year.

Ben Ainsworth had a slight injury concern last week and did not fly to Perth with the side.

He will be a test to play this week. If unable to play, all-rounder Nick Holman will be the easy replacement.

Jy Farrar is a test for Round 1 after suffering a quad strain while, Rory Thompson (partial ACL tear) and top-10 draftee Elijah Hollands (knee) are both working their way back from ACL injuries.

Zac Smith is another Suns player recovering from a PCL tear and is on track to return in around eight weeks.

GWS GIANTS

- Marc McGowan

Gun Giant Lachie Whitfield may not return until Round 6 as he continues to recover from a bruised liver he sustained in match simulation in early February.

Greater Western Sydney’s chief medical officer Bassam Moses said at the time the injury was “on the lower end of the scale” but it’s set to cost him about two-and-a-half months on the sidelines.

Whitfield is listed as indefinite on the club’s official injury list, but coach Leon Cameron was hopeful in the lead-up to the season opener that he would regain his star utility by Round 4.

That timeline appears to have been pushed back, with Giants chief executive Dave Matthews saying Whitfield’s return was likely to be delayed a bit longer.

Lachie Whitfield may not return until Round 6. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

Matthews was with Whitfield, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan for a season launch-of-sorts in Sydney on Thursday.

“I was chatting to Lachie and he’s feeling good,” Matthews told SEN.

“It’s one of those situations where the most important thing for us is the welfare of the person, and when he returns to play is secondary.

“He’s had a really unusual period and an unusual injury and we’re monitoring it closely, but we expect him back probably Round 5 or 6 at this point. It’s certainly something we’ve got to keep a careful eye on.

“He’s such a valuable player and person around the club and there’s been a great deal of care put into him, but we are looking forward to seeing him back out there.”

In better news, Brent Daniels (hamstring) will return to the GWS senior side for Sunday’s clash with Fremantle, while Jake Riccardi (ankle) is likely to play at some level this weekend as well and Tom Hutchesson (calf) is also available.

Recruit Jesse Hogan (quadriceps) is likely to miss another week before returning at VFL level but the rest of the club’s injuries are out for the next few months, including Daniel Lloyd (quadriceps), Adam Kennedy (shoulder) and Braydon Preuss (shoulder).

HAWTHORN

The Hawks emerged from their nailbiting opening win against Essendon with a clean bill of health. Mitch Lewis (back), Jack Scrimshaw (jarred knee) and James Cousins (plantaris) are in line to be available for selection.

But exciting forward Chad Wingard (calf) will again be missing, and Jack Gunston is still up to six weeks away after off-season back surgery.

Put a line through James Sicily (knee), Seamus Mitchell (ankle) and big man Keegan Brooksby (ankle) is still 2-3 weeks off.

MELBOURNE

The Demons revealed on Wednesday that midfielder James Harmes had suffered a broken wrist which will sideline him for up to six weeks.

The injury happened in the first half of Saturday’s clash with Fremantle, with Harmes playing on but continued soreness leading to an MRI scan on Monday which revealed the break.

Jack Viney, Jake Melksham and Michael Hibberd all got through a VFL practice match for Casey last weekend unscathed but will face fitness tests this week.

The Demons have warned they will not rush any of the trio back if they are not ready.

Key forwards Ben Brown (knee, 5-7 weeks) and Sam Weideman (leg, 4-6 weeks) remain some time away from returns.

Marty Hore (knee) and Aaron Nietschke (knee) will both miss the season, while Jay Lockhart (testicle) is still sidelined indefinitely after his injury during the AAMI Community Series.

Jack Viney gathers the ball while training at Casey Fields in pleasing signs for Dees fans.

NORTH MELBOURNE

Not ideal reading for the Roos with the injury list getting longer. Aidan Corr is in doubt for Saturday night’s clash with the Suns because of turf toe while Curtis Taylor is out with concussion.

New vice-captain Luke McDonald (quad) and key defender Robbie Tarrant (abductor) will be missing for at least a couple more weeks but there is hope veteran Ben Cunnington could be ready if he passes the concussion protocols.

One likely in is Jed Anderson (calf) while Taylor Garner (calf) and Aaron Hall (abductor) also face fitness tests.

PORT ADELAIDE

Hamstring injuries will keep Riley Bonner and Lachie Jones on the sidelines for Port Adelaide’s first home game of the season on Saturday.

Bonner was substituted off during the Power’s Round-1 victory over North Melbourne last Sunday, while Jones sustained his issue in an SANFL trial on Friday night.

Wingman Bonner is set to miss a month and defender Jones is expected to be out for a fortnight.

Connor Rozee has resumed running after foot surgery and will be pushing his case to face Essendon on Saturday.

Hamish Hartlett (hamstring) is available after missing Round 1.

Tyson Goldsack remains six to eight weeks away from returning from a knee injury.

Hamish Hartlett has overcome his hamstring injury and is available for selection.

RICHMOND

Triple premiership Bachar Houli boosted his training stocks this week as he edges closer to an AFL return following a calf injury.

The Tigers still have a relatively healthy list as they approach week two, with most of the attention centred on defender Nick Vlastuin who was subbed out of last week’s game with a hyperextended knee.

Vlastuin is still considered a chance to take on the Hawks.

ST KILDA

Tough midfielder Zak Jones missed Round 1 in light of a hamstring injury sustained in the pre-season.

Although, he was prominent in a practice match last weekend and is set to return. He is likely to be joined by forward Max King, who missed Round 1 through concussion after being struck by a golf ball in one of the more bizarre off-season injuries.

Saints coach Brett Ratten said this week other players would “trickle in” over the coming weeks, which would include the likes of Rowan Marshall, Paddy Ryder and Dan Hannebery. Recruit Brad Crouch dominated in last weekend’s practice game, but he still has one more AFL game to serve as part of his off-season suspension.

Saints hard man Zac Jones looks set to return after getting through a practice match hitout.

SYDNEY SWANS

The big news is Lance Franklin (calf) will play his first AFL game in 19 months after overcoming various injuries in that period.

The Swans’ latest addition to the injury list is young midfielder James Rowbottom, who hyperextended one of his knees in the first quarter on Saturday night and suffered some bone bruising.

Rowbottom will need to pass a fitness test to face the Crows in Round 2.

Ruckman Sam Naismith (knee) is focusing on increasing his leg and quadriceps strength, as well as change-of-direction work, but is at least two weeks from graduating to match play.

Robbie Fox (finger) will see the hand surgeon this week and the plan is for him to resume running next week, but he’s still some time away from playing.

Ben Ronke’s kneecap pain is settling and he’ll aim to start running again next week.

A father for the second time, Lance Franklin’s big week looks set to continue.

WEST COAST

Captain Luke Shuey will miss at least one more game with a hamstring strain but the club says he is progressing really well.

Elliot Yeo is close to participating in more football drills with the main group as he continues to recover from osteitis pubis.

Ruckman/forward Bailey Williams (ankle) is back training with the main group and is building his fitness but remains two to three weeks away.

Jake Waterman (back) will be sidelined for another week and Jarrod Cameron (groin) has reintegrated with the whole squad and is likely three to four weeks from a return to action.

WESTERN BULLDOGS

The Bulldogs depth took a slight hit this week with Ed Richards breaking his ankle and facing 8-10 weeks out, but star defender Easton Wood (hamstring) is ready to return.

Toby McLean (knee) will be hard pressed to make it back before the season’s end, and Mitch Hayden Crozier (shoulder) is out for an extended period. Mitch Hannan (groin) could be pushing for selection in coming weeks.

Originally published as Hurt locker: Latest AFL injury news