AFL pre-season 2025: All the latest injury news from across the competition
The Western Bulldogs have been dealt another pre-season blow, with star midfielder Adam Treloar ruled out for an extended period. With Jack Macrae gone, who steps up in his absence?
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Western Bulldogs veteran Adam Treloar faces a delayed start to the 2025 season after injuring his calf at training last week.
Treloar, 31, sustained an acute muscle strain which will see him sidelined for the next 8-10 weeks.
The 254-gamer enjoyed a career-best season in 2024, earning his first All-Australian blazer before finishing runner-up in the Charles Sutton Medal.
Treloar had been on a modified program pre-Christmas before his latest setback.
Bulldogs Head of Sports Medicine Chris Bell said that the Bulldogs would take a conservative approach with the star midfielder.
“Appreciating the continuity and significant amount of pre-season training that is required to support durability and performance across an AFL season, we will need to be conservative with Adam’s rehabilitation and reconditioning timeline,” Bell said.
The untimely injury blow puts pressure on the Bulldogs midfield mix following the departures of Bailey Smith (Geelong) and Jack Macrae (St Kilda) last year.
Second-year midfielder Ryley Sanders has impressed so far this pre-season after playing 14 games in his debut season, while Matt Kennedy is tipped to slot straight into the Bulldogs midfield after departing Carlton in search of more opportunity.
The Western Bulldogs will provide a more accurate return to play timeline in the coming weeks but the Dogs face North Melbourne, Collingwood, Carlton, Fremantle and Brisbane in their first five games
‘Really tough’: Inside Mitchell’s injury pain
– Josh Barnes
Injured Collingwood flag winner Tom Mitchell still believes he can return to his best this year as he details how tough his latest foot setback has been.
The 2018 Brownlow medallist ticked every box on his start to pre-season following a 2024 campaign that was limited to just six games because of foot woes.
But just as he was joining in full training with Magpies teammates he felt soreness in early December and scans showed a bone stress injury in his foot.
Mitchell has been running but remains weeks away from getting into proper training.
The midfielder spent his off-season meticulously working to get back into full fitness, making the injury blow even more painful.
“That was really tough because I had made a lot of sacrifices,” he told this masthead.
“I had always been dedicated but I took it to a whole new level. Pretty much when the Collingwood season finished in late August, I pretty much dedicated myself.
“My whole 3-4 month plan was to get myself as fit as possible, do all the work and leave no stone unturned.
“And then I had another setback. It put me back about six weeks without doing any running or anything like that, but I have kept pretty motivated and I know the big picture on what we want to achieve as a club.
“I know in my mind there are going to be setbacks throughout the whole season and this was one that unfortunately came my way early in the pre-season, but I still have time to play some of my best footy because I feel like I have done the preparation and the work.”
Mitchell didn’t want to put a timeline on his recovery. He hopes to step up his training by the end of February.
“I think the next three weeks I will be building up my running loads … then I can start football after that,” he said.
Injuries hit an ageing Collingwood list last year as the reigning premier fell to ninth place and missed finals on percentage.
The Pies have no interest in staying outside the final eight though, having recruited Dan Houston (Port Adelaide), Tim Membrey (St Kilda) and free agent Harry Perryman (Greater Western Sydney) to turbocharge their rebound.
“You can feel the drive around the place,” Mitchell said.
“I think missing out on the finals last year was a challenge for everyone. We had things that didn’t go our way last year but you can see the motivation of everybody who has come back.
“We have brought in some really good players. We feel like we have got a lot of depth and we have a great buy in to a really good game plan.”
ROO BLUE: YOUNG GUN’S DURABILITY IN DOUBT AFTER LATEST HAMSTRING
North Melbourne star midfielder George Wardlaw will be sidelined for up to three months with his latest hamstring injury in a massive blow for the Kangaroos.
The third-year hard nut suffered a high-grade hamstring strain in the club’s match simulation on Wednesday and is not expected to be available for selection until about Rounds 6 – 8.
The Kangas confirmed on Thursday Wardlaw would miss the next 10-12 weeks with his latest serious soft-tissue problem, this time in his right hamstring.
The Roos have vowed to be cautious with the 20-year-old considering his history of hamstring problems which plagued him since his final draft year.
North will be desperate to help Wardlaw get on top of his hamstring problems as the No. 4 draft pick is a key plank in the club’s plans to rise up the ladder.
“This is obviously disappointing for George as he has been very diligent with his physical conditioning since he’s been at the club,” general manager of football Todd Viney said.
“While there are a lot of variables at play with his recovery, George is an extremely diligent and professional athlete and we know he will be ticking every box in his rehabilitation to be back as soon as possible.”
Encouragingly, however, Wardlaw is believed to have avoided any tendon damage.
Scans showed the injury was limited to Wardlaw’s hamstring muscle.
The injury is a major disappointment for the Roos as Wardlaw is one of the club’s most exciting young players in a midfield which is stacked with top young talent.
His explosive attack on the ball and courageous clearance skills are considered some of the club’s top weapons.
His absence early in the season will ensure former Sydney Swans’ midfield bull Luke Parker will play a key midfield role alongside superstar vice-captain Harry Sheezel in the opening two months of the season.
The club is confident it can help cover his absence in the early part of the season while they try to help set the gun ballwinner up for a successful long-term career.
But the latest injury has fuelled concerns about his durability and whether he will always be vulnerable to hamstring issues.
North Melbourne’s medical team faces an important task helping Wardlaw make a full recovery for the second half of the season.
Wardlaw suffered three hamstring injuries in his draft campaign and then another one in his first season at the club after he was taken with pick four.
While he showed enormous potential last season across 18 games, a concussion problem ended his season early in another unfortunate setback.
The Oakleigh Chargers’ powerhouse averaged 19 touches and five clearances a game last season to finish second in the AFL’s Rising Star award behind Geelong’s Ollie Dempsey.
Wardlaw had enjoyed a productive summer so far until he limped off Arden St on Wednesday with the fresh injury during some match simulation.
STAR EAGLES RECRUIT HURT IN PRE-SEASON BLOW
Boom recruit Liam Baker has sent a scare through West Coast after hurting his ankle during match simulation on Wednesday.
Baker, who arrived from Richmond during the off-season, reportedly limped from the field and was seen with strapping around his right ankle.
It was reported he left training and headed straight for the rooms after receiving treatment.
The setback came only days after star on-baller Elliot Yeo suffered knee and ankle injuries in a training incident.
Yeo hurt his medial ligament in his right knee and sustained syndesmosis damage while being tackled during match simulation.
“There are always risks involved as we increase the intensity at training to prepare for the season, and unfortunately Elliot has sustained injuries to his right knee and ankle,” Eagles general manager Football Gavin Bell said.
“We are working through his rehab program and a return-to-play timeline.
“At this stage, we’re hopeful he will be available in the early part of the season.”
DOGS DEFENDER RULED OUT OF START OF 2025
Rebounding defender Jason Johannisen has been ruled out of the start of the season after suffering a hamstring injury at training.
The 32 year old will go under the knife to repair the damage, with the Western Bulldogs ruling Johannisen out of action for the next 2-3 months.
With the season less than six weeks away, Johannisen is likely to miss at least the opening two games and could be sidelined until as late as the end of April.
It is the latest setback for the 2016 Norm Smith Medallist, who has endured a wretched run of injury form in recent seasons.
He has played just one full season, with his best run coming in 2018.
But in recent years he has just managed 27 of 71 games, playing just nine matches in 2024.
STAR BOMBER’S OPENING ROUND HOPES IN GUN AFTER LATEST SETBACK
Gun Bombers defender Jordan Ridley will be racing the clock to be fit for the opening match of the season after a hamstring injury at training.
The 26 year old was sent for scans after pulling up sore, with the club ruling him out of the practice match against the Western Bulldogs on February 15.
Ridley had spent time in Qatar during the off-season in a bid to fix his nagging soft-tissue injuries that has plagued his career.
The intercepting back is seen as a key part of Essendon’s defensive unit, however played just nine games in 2024 and only once has played a full season, in 2020 when there was only 17 games.
It adds to a growing list of injury concerns at Essendon, with Jye Caldwell and Ben McKay yet to fully integrate into the team’s training group.
Caldwell had surgery in August after a career-best season at the Bombers, having played through a hip issue in the final weeks of the season.
He is taking part in some match simulation and training drills, with the club hopeful for him to be fit for the start of the campaign.
McKay had a clean out of an existing ankle complaint in December, and has been running away from the group but is yet to return to the fold.
The missing trio of experienced Bombers will worry fans as the season nears, with the club’s campaign starting earlier than ever with an opening round clash with Gold Coast.
TIGER CUB AVOIDS CATASTROPHIC START TO 2025
Richmond’s coveted midfield draftee Josh Smillie has avoided a major hamstring injury after coming from the field during match simulation.
Smillie was joined by fellow draftee Jasper Alger on the sidelines after the injury scare on Friday, but scans revealed it was a minor injury.
Alger hyper-extended his knee in the scratch match but suffered no damage.
Tigers high performance boss Ben Serpell said Smillie would remain in contention for the practice matches in a few weeks’ time.
“Josh has come to the Club and had a sporadic load over the last little while, which is typical of most first years,” Serpell said.
“Because of that (and his minor hamstring issue) we have decided to take a conservative approach with him and give him some consistent training.
“We still expect him to be around the mark for the early parts of the season, hopefully by trial (game) time.
“Jasper hyper-extended his knee in match play last week. He got a little bit spooked, but the scans came back positively.
“He will train a little bit later this week and there is a chance he will get out for match play (on Friday).
“But if not this week, it is going to be next week (that he returns to partaking in match play).”
Meanwhile, key defender Josh Gibcus will miss about two months of the home-and-away season as he slowly progresses from his torn ACL.
Richmond will play West Coast on February 17, followed by a clash with Collingwood on February 26 as a part of the pre-season.
Originally published as AFL pre-season 2025: All the latest injury news from across the competition
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