Barometer: Who is racing the clock from your club to play in Round 1?
SOME big names are out but other key players have pushed their case in a final round of practice matches before the season kicks off on Thursday. How is your club placed?
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JUST three sleeps to go.
Round 1 is almost upon us and within 48 hours we will see the first teams named for the home-and-away season. Who will make the cut?
Several big names have been ruled out, several debuts have been revealed and a final round of practice matches on the weekend gave players a chance to prove their case.
Scroll down for the latest injury and selection news from every club.
ADELAIDE
The big watch is on skipper Taylor Walker and his left hamstring.
Walker finished the Crows’ last JLT Series game on the bench with his hamstring iced and hasn’t trained since, sitting out a session on Saturday.
Walker says he will be ready but a final call is likely to made after training this week, with Adelaide unlikely to risk its No. 1 forward.
Rory Sloane is raring to go after missing all the pre-season matches with a fractured eye socket but the Crows have a decision to make on Jake Lever, who has also been out with a hamstring problem. Kyle Cheney is also available after recovering from a groin injury.
In his absence Andy Otten and Jake Kelly have stood up in defence.
Midfielders Brad Crouch (hamstring) and Scott Thompson (shoulder) are likely to line up in the SANFL.
Meanwhile, the Crows have placed knee injury victim Cam Ellis-Yolmen on the long-term injury list and are yet to nominate a replacement.
BRISBANE
Young forward Josch Schache hasn’t recovered fully from a low-grade medial ligament strain he suffered at training in February, and has been ruled out for at least the first round.
Also unavailable are Allen Christensen — who broke his collarbone at the same training session — top draft pick Hugh McCluggage (ankle) and Jack Frost, who was suspended for a week for his slam tackle on Gold Coast’s Brandon Matera.
One player raring to go against his old club is former Sun Pearce Hanley.
CARLTON
The Blues will have close to their best 22 available for the season-opener against Richmond on Thursday.
The big questions are in the ruck where Matthew Kreuzer won’t have back-up from Andrew Phillips (foot) while Daniel Gorringe (Achilles) will have to prove his fitness this week.
Dylan Buckley (leg) is also facing an uphill battle.
Top draft pick Sam Petrevski-Seton (quad) and rookie Andrew Gallucci are a couple of weeks away while Ciaran Byrne faces a long road back from an ACL injury.
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COLLINGWOOD
Disaster for the Magpies just days out from their Round 1 showdown with the reigning premier with three key players ruled out.
Jordan De Goey added his name to the pantheon of bizarre pre-season injuries when he broke his hand after getting it caught in a door handle while playing with his dog at the weekend. He will have surgery and miss 3-4 weeks.
Levi Greenwood is also booked in for surgery on a troublesome hip and will miss 4-5 weeks.
Jamie Elliott has lost his bid to get up from an ankle injury to play against the Dogs and Daniel Wells remains on a modified training program.
In more positive news the Magpies have promoted two rookies before Round 1: US-born ruckman Mason Cox and former Gold Coast defender Henry Schade.
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ESSENDON
Cale Hooker remains in the mix to play Round 1 after getting through last week’s VFL practice match against Geelong.
The key-position swingman has progressed well in his recovery from a hamstring injury and booted two goals in his return.
Ruckman Tom Bellchambers also got through the match but was playing under a minutes restriction.
The chances of Bellchambers being right for Round 1 appear slim, with the Bombers on Monday confirming rookie ruckman Shaun McKernan would be upgraded to the senior list.
Off-season recruit Josh Green is available for selection after booting four goals in his VFL return.
Matthew Leuenberger, Jayden Laverde, David Myers and Jordan Ridley are all set for extended periods of time on the sidelines.
FREMANTLE
The Dockers don’t exactly have anyone racing the clock to be fit for Round 1, with all of the club’s injured players in the mid to long-term category.
Fremantle was dealt a serious blow last week when the Dockers confirmed small forward Hayden Ballantyne would miss almost half the season with a hamstring injury.
Ballantyne had surgery on his hamstring tendon last week and is will spend 8-10 weeks on the sidelines.
Big man Michael Apeness will miss at least six weeks with a knee injury while Harley Bennell won’t be fit before Round 6 at the earliest. Bennell is recovering from a calf injury.
Zac Clarke (knee) and Alex Pearce (leg) won’t be seen until the second half of the season.
GEELONG
Steven Motlop and Cam Guthrie are likely starters in Geelong’s Round 1 clash against Fremantle after performing strongly for the club’s VFL side last week.
Motlop split his time between the wing and midfield while Guthrie was used in the midfield and across half-back.
The Cats have placed Cory Gregson on the long-term injury list. Gregson has been battling a foot injury since July last year.
That could create a spot for rookie Zach Guthrie to be elevated to the senior list and make his debut in Round 1. The youngest Guthrie has impressed in his short time at the club.
Jake Kolodjashnij (groin) is unlikely to play this week after missing a large part of the pre-season, but he is nearing a return.
GOLD COAST
It was a horror start to the JLT Series for the Gold Coast with Sam Day going down in the first quarter with a season-ending hip injury.
However, the Suns have got through largely unscathed since then, with midfielder Michael Rischitelli the only other player on the club’s injury list.
Rischitelli is still battling to come back from the ACL injury he sustained last year.
GWS GIANTS
Lucky the Giants have plenty of depth because they may need it during the early stages of the season.
With Brett Deledio already ruled out of Round 1 with a calf injury and Lachie Whitfield still serving his suspension, the Giants were dealt another blow with news Stephen Coniglio will be sidelined for six weeks with an ankle injury.
Defender Aidan Corr has also been ruled out of Round 1 with a hand injury.
A timeline for Corr’s return isn’t known yet however, in positive news for the 22-year-old, there was no broken bone in the incident.
Meanwhile, veteran forward Steve Johnson is expected to be available for Round 1 as he continues his recovery from concussion.
HAWTHORN
The Hawks have a relatively clean injury list.
Jonathan Ceglar continues his recovery from an ACL injury but won’t be seen until the second half of the season.
Former no. 2 draft pick Jonathan O’Rourke is out indefinitely with a hamstring injury.
One player who won’t be playing in Round 1 is Luke Hodge who will serve a club-imposed suspension after missing training last week.
MELBOURNE
Defender Colin Garland suffered possibly the cruellest injury of the pre-season when he went down with a season-ending knee injury in the final quarter of the club’s last VFL practice match on Saturday.
Garland has ruptured his ACL and won’t play again this year.
The 28-year-old played only six matches last year but provided a versatile back-up for the Demons’ back six.
Jack Watts put up his hand for a Round 1 spot with two goals from 17 disposals, while Jeff Garlett kicked two goals in his return from a hamstring strain.
Dom Tyson (18 possessions), Dean Kent, Joel Smith, Neville Jetta and Jack Trengove (18 possessions, one goal) all received extra match practice.
Former Bomber Michael Hibberd has been ruled out of Round 1 with Achilles soreness. Jay Kennedy-Harris (broken arm) will miss 6-8 weeks while Aaron vandenBerg is out for up to six weeks with a foot stress fracture.
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NORTH MELBOURNE
Key forward Ben Brown appears a certain Round 1 starter after making a successful return to the field in a VFL practice match on Saturday.
Brown — who missed the Kangaroos’ three JLT series matches with a lingering left knee complaint — kicked three goals for Werribee and declared himself fit to take on West Coast post-game.
Defenders Scott Thompson (adductor) and Lachie Hansen (quad) and midfielder Jed Anderson (shoulder) also put their hands up for Round 1 selection in the match after injury-interrupted summers.
Mason Wood (hamstring) and Ben Jacobs (foot) remain sidelined and Ben Cunnington will also miss Round 1 serving a suspension from the JLT Series.
PORT ADELAIDE
Ken Hinkley and his selection committee with this week weigh up whether to play experienced defender Matthew Broadbent after missing the entire pre-season competition.
Broadbent is available after recovering from a hamstring injury but his lack of match practice might count against him.
“He’s still got a bit of training to do, so whether he comes back this week or next week, I’m not too sure,” skipper Travis Boak said on Monday.
“He’ll be sorely missed if he doesn’t play, but there’s guys like Dan Houston that can come into the side and certainly fill that void if he does get the opportunity.”
Jasper Pittard is out for three weeks but Port is set to unveil as many as three debutants against the Swans in the form of promoted rookies Houston and Brett Eddy and raging bull midfielder Sam Powell-Pepper.
Nathan Krakouer will sit out after being suspended for a high bump on St Kilda’s Sean Dempster in the pre-season competition.
RICHMOND
No excuses for Richmond on Thursday night, with Damien Hardwick having almost a full squad to pick from.
Ruckman Shaun Hampson (back) was placed on the club’s long-term injury list earlier this month while defender Steven Morris is still working his way back from a knee reconstruction.
Small forward Dan Butler — who was taken at Pick 67 in the 2014 national draft — has been told he will make his AFL debut this week after impressing in the pre-season competition while recruits Toby Nankervis, Dion Prestia and Josh Caddy are all expected to line up in the yellow and black for the first time.
ST KILDA
Veteran Leigh Montagna has lost his race against time to be ready for Round 1, ruled out of the Saints’ clash with Melbourne with a lingering calf complaint.
Montagna did not play any part in the club’s pre-season series due to the injury but St Kilda is hopeful the 33-year-old will return to the field via a VFL practice match with Sandringham on Sunday.
The Saints are otherwise in good nick, but Nathan Freeman (hip) and Hugh Goddard (leg) are not expected to feature until at least mid-season.
SYDNEY
Not all’s well at the Swans, with a few key players set to be sidelined for Saturday’s clash with Port Adelaide.
Former co-captain Kieran Jack (hip) did not take part in the pre-season series while Jarrad McVeigh (calf), Isaac Heeney (glandular fever), Tom Papley (knee) and Gary Rohan (back) have all been ruled out of Round 1.
Coach John Longmire said last week Heeney was also likely to miss at least Round 2 with the virus.
WESTERN BULLDOGS
Veteran defender Matthew Boyd is hopeful of playing in Round 1 after suffering a nasty ear injury against Gold Coast 11 days ago.
The laceration was so bad he required plastic surgery and will wear a helmet in games and at training for about a month.
“I’m fine to wear it ... if the difference of wearing it and not wearing it is potentially losing the top half of your ear,” Boyd told the Herald Sun.
“We’ve got CD (Caleb Daniel) who is a little jet in his helmet. The boys had a bit of a laugh about it, but I’ve tried it out now and feel fine.”
Jordan Roughead (hamstring) and Tom Campbell (ankle) are both sidelined, potentially opening the door for teenage beanpole Tim English to make a Round 1 debut.
Roarke Smith is gone for the year with another ACL injury and Jack Redpath and Mitch Wallis are also a while off with leg injuries.
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WEST COAST
Who jumps at the first bounce against North Melbourne on Sunday?
That is the main question around the Eagles with ruckman Scott Lycett (shoulder) and Jonathon Giles (thumb) and Nic Naitanui (ACL) all sidelined.
That leaves back-up recruits Nathan Vardy and Drew Petrie to shoulder the ruck load.
Naitanui is not expecting to play this year at all.
Forward Simon Tunbridge (knee) is targeting a mid-season return.
Originally published as Barometer: Who is racing the clock from your club to play in Round 1?
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