AFL injury ladder: Who has been hit the hardest in 2023
Does a great run with injury equal a premiership tilt? See the finals contenders who have been blessed this year and those hit hardest on our injury ladder.
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Port Adelaide premiership player Dean Brogan says injuries are hitting the Power at the worst time of year and in the positions that hurt the most.
The Power’s injury list grew on Tuesday when it was confirmed Trent McKenzie had suffered a partial tear of his right PCL and would be out for four to five weeks.
While there was mystery around his latest foot injury, Charlie Dixon will be assessed as the week progresses as to whether he takes on GWS on Sunday.
They add to Scott Lycett having surgery to clean out some of his cartilage in his knee on Friday.
Despite the late hits, Champion Data numbers reveal that the Power have had one of the best runs with injury in 2023.
SCROLL DOWN FOR THE FULL INJURY LADDER
Fierce rival Adelaide has also had a good run with injuries this year, ranked 17th for games lost for all injuries (84) and 18th for games missed by best 22 players.
West Coast leads both stats, with 263 games lost to injuries and 195 to best 22 players. Richmond have lost 178 games (second) and the fifth-most to members of their best 22.
Essendon have lost the third-most games to best 22 players and is ranked fifth overall for games lost to injury, while Carlton has made a late charge despite losing the fourth-most games to best 22 players. Adam Cerra, Harry McKay, Sam Walsh and Zac Williams are among the stars unavailable for Michael Voss.
The Power is ranked 16th when it comes to games lost to injuries this season.
But Brogan said the injuries were coming at the wrong time of the year.
“I think the injuries are to key-position players, too, which hurts, they aren’t to wingers or half-backmen or anything like that,” he told this masthead.
“They are losing ruckmen Lycett, a key forward Dixon, a key back McKenzie and Aliir Aliir to concussion.
“It is the key-position players, if they go down they are really hard to fill.”
Port Adelaide has lost its past four games to drop out of the top two.
Brogan said the Power needed to focus on getting its list healthy before finals.
“It is a bit concerning I think for them now. I think they will finish somewhere in the top four but I think if you said to Port, ‘You are going to finish fourth, but you are going to come into the finals series with a healthy list,’ I think that is a good place to be,” he said.
“You don’t want to scrape into the four and have four or five out of your best 22 carrying serious injuries.
“So, if they can get healthy over the next month, whatever Lycett needs, whatever Charlie needs, what ever McKenzie needs, I think you give them that extra week or two and just get them to finals.
“Going into finals with a relatively healthy list is paramount.
“Normally the healthiest team has a good finals campaign or wins it.”
The Power are also carrying some sore players, with forwards coach Chad Cornes revealing on Monday that Todd Marshall was struggling to get through set shots from 45m and longer, which was why he was passing when he had the opportunity to take a set-shot against Geelong.
Brogan said this needed to be a key consideration by the Power as well.
“This time of year 90 per cent of players are carrying something,” he said.
“So maybe if you can have an opportunity for a Marshall to miss a week or have a lighter couple of weeks, now is the time to do it.
“You are only one or two injuries away from it all capitulating.
“As long as their midfield is healthy they are always a chance.”
BIG GUNS MISSING FROM FINALS CONTENDERS
1. Collingwood
Nick Daicos (knee) 6 weeks
Nathan Murphy (syndesmosis) test
2. Melbourne
Clayton Oliver (hamstring) test
Bayley Fritsch (foot) 3 weeks
Harrison Petty (foot) TBC
3. Brisbane Lions
Will Ashcroft (knee) season
4. Port Adelaide
Charlie Dixon (foot) test
Trent McKenzie (knee) 4-5 weeks
Mitch Georgiades (knee) season
Aliir Aliir (concussion) test
Lachie Jones (concussion) test
5. Carlton
Adam Cerra (hamstring) 2 weeks
Matt Kennedy (knee) TBC
Harry McKay (knee) 5 weeks
Jack Silvagni (knee) TBC
Sam Walsh (hamstring) 1 week
Zac Williams (knee) season
6. Western Bulldogs
Alex Keath (concussion) test
Sam Darcy (quad) 3-4 weeks
Josh Bruce (knee) indefinite
7. St Kilda
Zak Jones (knee) TBC
Dougal Howard (wrist) TBC
8. GWS Giants
Xavier O’Halloran (thumb) 2 weeks
9. Geelong
Jack Henry (foot) TBC
Tom Hawkins (hamstring) TBC
Mark Blicavs (hamstring) TBC
10. Sydney
Dane Rampe (calf) TBC
Justin McInerney (calf) 2 weeks
11. Adelaide
Izak Rankine (hamstring) test
Tom Doedee (knee) season
Jordon Butts (foot) season
Nick Murray (knee) season
Chayce Jones (foot) TBC
12. Essendon
Jordan Ridley (quad) 5-6 weeks
Dylan Shiel (foot) TBC
Sam Draper (hip) TBC
Jake Stringer (foot) TBC
Richmond
Dustin Martin (soreness) test
Trent Cotchin (soreness) test
Dylan Grimes (neck) test
Daniel Rioli (ankle) test
Jacob Hopper (concussion) 1 week
Tom Lynch (foot) season
Originally published as AFL injury ladder: Who has been hit the hardest in 2023
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