AFL 2023: Latest injury news after round 19

Five Blues including Patrick Cripps will face fitness tests ahead of a massive Friday night clash with Collingwood, but Sam Walsh won’t be one of them. Plus more injury news here.

Will Patrick Cripps play against Collingwood? Picture: Getty Images

Carlton will have to run the gauntlet of a crucial string of games without midfield dynamo Sam Walsh, who will miss up to three weeks with a hamstring strain.

Walsh pulled up lame in the second quarter of Saturday’s thumping win over West Coast and spent the second half of the game on the bench, with scans revealing a low-grade strain.

He is set to miss up to three weeks, which means he won’t suit up for Friday night’s blockbuster against Collingwood and neither will Jack Silvagni (knee).

Carlton faces St Kilda in round 21 and Melbourne the week after.

Sam Walsh will hope to get back for the last couple of rounds of the season. Picture: Getty Images

The Blues are still working through the sprain to Silvagni’s knee, with no timeline yet revealed for his return.

Forward Jesse Motlop (calf) was also injured and will be tested later in the week before the Pies clash.

The Blues will also test skipper Patrick Cripps (cork), midfielder Adam Cerra (hamstring), forward Jack Martin (calf), Matt Owies (calf) and Sam Durdin (shoulder).

Ruck Marc Pittonet played in the VFL on the weekend and should be available.

Meanwhile, St Kilda will miss Bradley Hill for at least one week after he was diagnosed with a bruised lung following a brutal collision with North Melbourne’s Aidan Corr on Sunday.

Tall forward Jack Hayes could finally play his first game of the year after a minor hamstring tweak cut plans of a return last week and veteran Tim Membrey (knee) is also closing in on a return, with the Saints to face Hawthorn on Sunday.

Fremantle duo Sean Darcy (ankle) and Nat Fyfe (foot) will not return to the field this week as the Dockers put the pair in cotton wool after officially falling out of the finals race.

Bulldog speedster Jason Johannisen’s long wait for a return from a hamstring injury could be over as he will be tested later in the week before Saturday’s crunch meeting with GWS.

And Richmond’s long kicker Jayden Short (hamstring) is a chance to play his 150th game against Melbourne on Sunday.

Hammer blow for Bombers’ flagging finals hopes

Essendon will be without important defender Jordan Ridley for the next month after he was hit with a quad strain.

The intercepting backman limped from the field early in the final quarter of Friday’s disappointing loss to the Western Bulldogs.

The strain has been labelled as “high-grade” by the Bombers and he is not expected to return until round 24.

Ridley had amassed 29 disposals and 14 marks before feeling for his right leg immediately after kicking short and hobbled to the bench, before sitting out the rest of the game.

Jordan Ridley heads to the bench after suffering a quad injury. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

Essendon’s finals chances are teetering on the edge after Friday’s loss but Ridley’s side faces winnable games in the next three weeks against Sydney, West Coast and North Melbourne.

A final fortnight against GWS and an MCG blockbuster against Collingwood await before finals.

Essendon’s general manager of performance Daniel McPherson said Ridley would likely not return until the round 24 meeting with the Magpies.

“It’s disappointing for Rids, who has been one of our most consistent players this season,” he said.

“We’ll get a more accurate sense of his potential return to play timeline in the next week or so, but at this early stage we believe he is unlikely to play before the last round of the home-and-away season.”

Essendon, which sits 11th on the AFL table, will he hoping midfielder Dylan Shiel can shake off a foot issue in time for Saturday’s game against Sydney.

Originally published as AFL 2023: Latest injury news after round 19