Adam Treloar set to return for Western Bulldogs and all the latest AFL injury news
Hawthorn’s struggling midfield will confront one of its sternest tests of the year next round with one of Western Bulldogs’ All-Australian on-ballers set to return from injury.
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Under-fire Hawthorn will run into a Western Bulldogs side with only Cody Weightman and Sam Darcy out of its best side as the Dogs take a cautious approach with their brilliant 208cm match-winner.
The Western Bulldogs take on a Hawthorn side on a three-match losing streak, having trained strongly on Friday off the bye and approaching peak squad availability.
Adam Treloar is fully fit after his latest calf tweak, with the Dogs choosing not to risk him in their pre-bye clash against Geelong.
He could have played in the VFL last week but instead will have two full weeks of training before taking on the Hawks and their battling midfield.
He was spectacular upon his return from soft-tissue concerns in the club’s Ballarat clash then pulled up sore again.
The club’s plan has been to play him against Hawthorn, with Treloar only needing to get through training unscathed this week after a history of soft tissue concerns.
Darcy is listed as 1-4 weeks and trained fully on Friday in his latest positive development after a knee injury the club at one stage feared was an ACL tear.
Even when scans cleared him of cruciate ligament damage the fear was that he could miss as many as 10 weeks but instead he is training pain-free and without limitations.
The Dogs are still much more likely to hold him off for another week or two to ensure that he doesn’t suffer soft-tissue damage after more than a month out of the game.
But the Dogs injury list continues to shrink, with Liam Jones back in the VFL last week after a minor calf sprain and available to return.
Coach Luke Beveridge, negotiating his own two-year contract extension, chose not to play Jones or Jed Busslinger against the Cats.
But Beveridge has that pair available, as well as depth players Harvey Gallagher, Nick Coffield and Caleb Poulter.
First-round draft pick Cooper Hynes, secured after the Dogs traded Bailey Smith, had his best VFL performance last week with 25 possessions and nine score involvements as a general forward.
Hawthorn will have Lloyd Meek available after he was cleared of an MRO charge for late contact that concussed Patrick Lipinski.
Midfielders Henry Husthwaite (32 disposals) and Sam Butler (29 possessions) were both strong in the VFL on Saturday, while first-round pick Cam Mackenzie had 22 touches.
Livewire top ten pick Nick Watson was nearly subbed out by Mitchell after a second quiet game in a row but kicked a goal that saw him finishing the game on the field.
So while Mitchell has promised his players a series of tough ‘mouthguards required’ sessions ahead he will have to decide if Watson keeps his spot after a nine-touch game.
His poor tackle attempt at Bobby Hill bounced off him was representative of another appalling tackle performance from the entire Hawks side with Jack Scrimshaw tactically subbed out instead of Watson.
‘NOT UNREASONABLE’: MEEK DODGES BAN FOR LIPINSKI CRUNCH
— Jay Clark and Matt Forrest
Hawthorn ruck Lloyd Meek has been cleared of any wrongdoing after a hotly-debated hit left Magpie Pat Lipinski concussed.
Meek was staring down the barrel of a three-week ban if the MRO decided the collision was careless, high and severe, however Michael Christian instead said the star ruck “made a genuine attempt to spoil the ball.”
While it was a late hit on Lipinski that warranted a 50-metre penalty, the winger was concussed when his head hit the turf, rather than a flailing limb making contact with the Pie’s head.
In the explanation, the MRO said Meek contested the mark.
“His actions were not unreasonable in the circumstances and that he took reasonable care to avoid making forceful high contact to Lipinski in the marking contest,” the reasoning read.
“Furthermore, it could not have been reasonably foreseen that Lipinski’s head would make forceful contact with the ground as a result of Meek’s conduct.
“It was the view of the MRO that Meek made a genuine attempt to spoil the ball.”
PIES SET SCHULTZ TIMELINE AFTER SECOND HAMSTRING BLOW
— Josh Barnes
Red-hot premiership favourites Collingwood are set to get even better after the bye as the Pies hit a long break confident Lachie Schultz’s hamstring twinge is minor.
Schultz limped to the bench in the dying stages of Friday night’s romping win over Hawthorn after injuring his right hamstring when kicking at goal.
Pies coach Craig McRae was adamant the setback looked on the minor end and Schultz was moving freely post-match.
The only other injury worry for the Pies from the Hawks game was a concussion for Pat Lipinski, which will see him miss next week’s King’s Birthday game against Melbourne.
Collingwood will enjoy the 10-day break into that clash, then have the bye the weekend after.
Lipinski should return then, and while Collingwood will be cautious with Schultz given he missed three weeks with a hamstring blow earlier this year, he will eye a return in post-bye in round 15.
“He’s had a bit of time out and he’s an important part of what we’re doing, so we’ll make sure we get that right,” McRae said of Schultz post-match.
Talismanic defender Brayden Maynard (foot) could push to play against the Demons, but otherwise should be back after the bye.
And forward Dan McStay (knee) is in the same position.
Jordan De Goey said on Friday he was optimistic he would overcome his achilles battle in three weeks, which could put him on track for a post-bye return.
That would leave the raging flag favourites with only Reef McInnes (knee) on the injury list from their best 30 players.
Brownlow medallist Tom Mitchell was due to play his fourth VFL game on the trot on Saturday against Box Hill as he leaves foot problems behind.
Lachie Schultz heads straight to the rooms after doing his hamstring #AFLPiesHawkspic.twitter.com/zE3n8QH7d6
— 7AFL (@7AFL) May 30, 2025
After the bye, Collingwood hosts St Kilda and West Coast, before a meeting with battling arch rivals Carlton.
The Pies sit on top of the table with a 10-2 record, having been shocked in Opening Round against GWS, and the only other loss came from Jack Crisp missing a shot to win after the siren against Geelong.
With a fit list and after a brilliant start to the season, McRae’s Pies will hope to be in a position to manage a long list of veterans to fire in September.
Originally published as Adam Treloar set to return for Western Bulldogs and all the latest AFL injury news
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