AFL injury list: Latest news on injuries and selection ahead of Round 4
One of Hawthorn’s matchwinners is set to miss an important clash with St Kilda. Get the latest selection and injury news in the Hurt Locker.
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Geelong captain Joel Selwood will be rested for Friday’s clash against Brisbane with the Cats ramping up its rotation of senior players with Shaun Higgins rested after round 1.
Mark O’Connor and Gryan Miers will come into the side.
But a Hawthorn star will miss and North Melbourne is pondering a debutant after being thumped by Brisbane Lions.
Who else is in line for a recall, and which stars are set for a stint on the sidelines?
SCROLL DOWN TO SEE EVERY CLUB’S INJURY LIST
ADELAIDE
Rory Sloane - Adductor - Test
Lachlan Murphy - Neck - Test
Paul Seedsman - Concussion - Ongoing
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BRISBANE
Keidean Coleman - Hamstring 2-3 weeks
Eric Hipwood - Knee 6- weeks
Oscar McInerney - Suspension Round 5
CARLTON
Jack Carroll - Knee - Test
David Cuningham - Knee - 10-14 weeks
Ed Curnow - Knee - 2-4 weeks
Josh Honey - Knee - 1-2 weeks
Caleb Marchbank - Knee - 2-4 weeks
Oscar McDonald - Back - Test
Mitch McGovern - Hamstring - 3-4 weeks
Sam Philp - Ribs - Test
Marc Pittonet - Back - Test
COLLINGWOOD
Steele Sidebottom - Quad - Available
Jordan Roughhead - Shoulder - test
Nathan Kreuger - Shoulder - test
Beau McCreery - Hip Flexor - 1 week
Nathan Murphy - Ankle - 4 - 5 weeks
Charlie Dean - Foot - 5-6 weeks
ESSENDON
Nik Cox - ankle - test
Will Snelling - calf - test
Harry Jones - ankle - short term
Zach Merrett - ankle - medium term
Kyle Langford - hamstring - long term
Michael Hurley - hip - indefinite
FREMANTLE
Sean Darcy - ankle - Test
Caleb Serong - knee - Test
Eric Benning - lower leg – one week
Nat Fyfe - back - TBA
Darcy Tucker - Concussion Protocols - TBA
Matthew Johnson - ankle - TBA
Fremantle believes defender Alex Pearce has escaped serious injury after rolling his ankle against West Coast in Sunday’s derby and rates him a good chance to face GWS on Saturday.
The Dockers have mixed news with others on the injury front. They expect ruckman Sean Darcy (ankle) to play but are less buoyant about the chances of midfielder Caleb Serong who is nursing a knee injury.
David Mundy, who has spent two weeks absent in Covid protocols, is not yet a certain starter against the Giants.
-Mark Duffield/West Australian
GEELONG
Jon Ceglar - Foot - 8-12 weeks
Toby Conway - Hip - TBC
Flynn Kroeger - Hip - TBC
Sam Menegola - Concussion - 1 week
Gary Rohan - Back and hip - TBC
Sam Simpson - Concussion - TBC
James Willis - Knee - TBC
Geelong is still confident recruit Jonathon Ceglar can still play a “major part” this year despite undergoing surgery on Monday on a broken foot.
The ruck limped from the field in the second quarter of Geelong’s VFL defeat to Collingwood on Saturday and scans revealeda fracture in his metatarsal which could rule him out until the second half of the season. Midfielder Sam Menegola will not play at any level this weekend after he was concussed in the VFL, as he was building towardsa return to the AFL level. It is better news for fellow big man Esava Ratugolea, who is still a chance to play against Brisbane in Friday night’s blockbuster home clash.
-Josh Barnes
GOLD COAST
Izak Rankine - Quad - Test
Charlie Constable - Groin - Test
Jack Bowes - Shoulder - 5 weeks
Ben King - Knee - Season
Bodhi Uwland - Back - Indefinite
GWS
TBC
HAWTHORN
Chad Wingard - calf - TBC
Jack Scrimshaw - scapula - test
Lachlan Bramble - foot - 2 weeks
Ben McEvoy - neck - TBC
Hawthorn has been dealt a blow ahead of an intriguing clash with St Kilda on Sunday with mercurial forward Chad Wingard ruled out due to calf tightness.
The Hawks say they have opted for a cautious approach with the veteran goalkicker, who pulled up sore from the thrilling comeback effort against Carlton.
It is unclear whether the calf complaint will keep him sidelined beyond round four.
“Chad got through the game on the weekend but unfortunately pulled up post-game with some calf tightness,” Hawthorn physical performance manager Luke Boyd said.
“We’re going to take a cautious approach from Chad which means that we won’t play him this weekend coming, but we’ll assess later in the week to see where he’s at from there.”
Wingard was substituted out of Hawthorn’s round two win over Port Adelaide with a hamstring complaint before passing a fitness test to face the Blues.
The former Port Adelaide forward has been interrupted by calf and hamstring injuries on numerous occasions since arriving at Hawthorn in 2019, missing eight games in his first season as a Hawk and six last year.
The news is more promising for important half-back Jack Scrimshaw, however, who escaped serious injury after initially fearing damage to his scapula.
He will face a fitness test ahead of Sunday’s game and is considered a genuine chance to play.
— Owen Leonard
MELBOURNE
Michael Hibberd - Calf - 2-3 Weeks
Daniel Turner - Foot - 3-5 Weeks
Christian Salem - Knee - 4-6 Weeks
Unbeaten Melbourne will weigh up the benefits of recalling Ben Brown off a compromised preparation, including likely having to drop last week’s four-goal hero Sam Weideman. Brown missed Friday night’s victory over Essendon because he was in the AFL’s health and safety protocols as a close Covidcontact and won’t come out of isolation until Thursday.
But All-Australian defender Jake Lever (foot) is as good as certain to play his first game of the season, probably at the expense of Adam Tomlinson or Joel Smith. Michael Hibberd (calf) is still a fortnight from returning but fellow premiership defender Harry Petty (calf) is set to play about three quarters in the VFL this week. Goodwin also insisted Christian Petracca’s knee was “100 per cent” but he experienced swelling from time to time in it.
-Marc McGowan
NORTH MELBOURNE
Ben Cunnington Testicular cancer - Indefinite
Luke Davies-Uniacke - Concussion - Test
Will Phillips - Glandular fever - 1-2 weeks
Phoenix Spicer - Hamstring - 1-2 weeks
Tarryn Thomas - Internal bruising - 3-7 weeks
The midfield unit is set for a boost with Luke Davies-Uniacke returning from the mandatory 12-day concussion break, while first-year chance Miller Bergman is in the mix along with Atu Bosenavulagi and Flynn Perez. But Noble, who has received angry emails from fans this week, reaffirmed wholesale changes were not a viable way forward for a club committed to a long rebuild. “I’ve had a few emails from our fans and we understand their sentiment, but we’re here to get work done and we’ve got to get that mentality right so it’s there every week,” the Roos coach said.
-Owen Leonard
PORT ADELAIDE
Aliir Aliir - Ankle - 2-3 weeks
Tom Clurey - Knee - Test
Charlie Dixon - Ankle - TBC
Xavier Duursma - Neck - Test
Orazio Fantasia - Knee 6-8 - weeks
Robbie Gray - H&S Protocols - available
Sam Skinner - Ankle - Test
Veteran Robbie Gray is exiting Covid protocols but is another week away. Wingman Kane Farrell will make his return via the SANFL after a nine-month absence with an anterior cruciate ligament injury to his right knee. A week after being dropped, Xavier Duursma, will sit out the Magpies’ game due to soreness. Hinkley said there was some risk in selecting Clurey but the side was short on key defenders.
-Matt Turner
RICHMOND
Probable
Sydney Stack – AFL Health and Safety Protocols
Jack Riewoldt – thumb
Dion Prestia – hamstring
Unavailable
Nick Vlastuin – hamstring – short term
Josh Caddy – soreness – short term
Dylan Grimes – hamstring – medium term
Kane Lambert - hip - TBC
Dion Prestia could be a surprise return for Richmond’s crucial Saturday night clash against the Western Bulldogs and should be joined by premiership forward Jack Riewoldt. Dylan Grimes hurt his hamstring in the loss to St Kilda. Nick Vlastuin should be OK for next week while there had been an improvement in Kane Lambert’s recovery from a hip issue.
-Simeon Thomas-Wilson
ST KILDA
Jack Higgins – concussion - 12-day protocol
Jarryn Geary – concussion - 12-day protocol
Jack Billings – hamstring - 2-3 weeks
Hunter Clark – shoulder - 2-3 weeks
Zak Jones – personal leave - no timeline
Dan Hannebery – calf - 6-8 weeks
Nick Coffield – ACL - indefinite
SYDNEY
Tom Hickey - Knee - 6 weeks
Justin McInerney - Knee - Test
Sam Naismith - Knee - Season
Tom Papley - Hamstring - 1-2 weeks
Sydney has lost ruckman Tom Hickey for the next six weeks, with scans confirming the Swans’ fears that he suffered a medial collateral ligament strain. The Swans will again be without All-Australian forward Tom Papley, but he will ramp up his training activity this week with an eye to a round 5 return against West Coast in Perth. But Longmire was optimistic that dasher Justin McInerney (knee) would play after missing the past fortnight, while Lance Franklin is also on track despite a cork limiting him at training on Monday. There is a different decision to make on prized key forward Logan McDonald, who responded to his demotion with four goals and eight marks in the VFL.
-Marc McGowan
WEST COAST
Oscar Allen - Foot - 3 weeks
Campbell Chesser - Ankle - Inactive
Greg Clark - Shoulder - 1-2 weeks
Tom Cole - Ankle - Inactive
Jamie Cripps - Pectoral - 2-3 weeks
Jamaine Jones - Hamstring - Test
Tom Joyce - Ankle - 4 weeks
Tim Kelly - Hamstring - 1-2 weeks
Dom Sheed - Ankle - 5 weeks
Zane Trew - Shin - 3 weeks
Elliot Yeo - Calf - 1-2 weeks
West Coast are hopeful of regaining key quartet Luke Shuey, Willie Rioli, Tom Barrass and Liam Duggan for Saturday’s daunting assignment against Craig McRae’s new-look Collingwood at Marvel Stadium. But key midfield pair Tim Kelly and Elliot Yeo will remain sidelined as the COVID-battered Eagles confront consecutive six-day breaks on the back of Sunday’s western derby mauling.
-Braden Quartermaine/West Australian
WESTERN BULLDOGS
McComb - ribs – Test
Cordy - concussion – 1 week
Johannisen - calf – 2 weeks
Bruce - knee – 4 months
McLean - knee – 4 months
Darcy - foot – indefinite
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