AFL injury list: The clubs hit hard by injury to start 2024
The Demons, Blues and Tigers are licking their wounds after a horror start to 2024, with clubs facing mounting injury lists early on in the year. JON RALPH has the breakdown.
AFL
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Richmond will attempt to field a competitive team with as few as 28 fit players on Anzac Eve next week as the club mulls its mid-season draft options after it latest season-ending injury.
The Tigers’ players have been given a three-day break after a tired Richmond outfit was run over by winless West Coast in Perth and take on Melbourne at the MCG on Wednesday week.
Richmond hopes former captain Dylan Grimes (wrist) might add to its availability after a horror week where Tim Taranto (wrist, 4-6 weeks), Jack Ross (foot stress fracture, eight weeks) and Judson Clarke (anterior cruciate ligament tear, season) went down.
The Tigers now have Clarke and Josh Gibcus out for the season, while Mate Colina (back) and Liam Fawcett (back) are also out long-term.
It means the Tigers could consider multiple picks in the mid-season draft, which will take place on May 29 after round 11. Richmond currently holds the No. 4 selection.
Only seven AFL-listed players were available to play VFL for Richmond on the weekend – Sam Banks, Sam Naismith, Noah Cumberland, Samson Ryan, Matt Coulthard and Kaleb Smith, plus Clarke.
But Carlton also has an extensive injury list of 13 players after three fresh hamstring injuries and has managed a 4-1 start to the season.
Champion Data’s tally of games lost from best-22 players to injury this year has Richmond with 33 games lost, followed by Melbourne and Carlton (29), Adelaide (26) and St Kilda (25). Port Adelaide has lost just four games to best-22 players through injuries.
Richmond coach Adem Yze told this masthead when he was appointed that the Tigers would need a strong run of luck with injuries to be competitive, given the club was in transition.
Instead, Yze has no choice but to blood kids, with Grimes likely to return to add experience, but Hopper (knee) appears less certain to take on the Demons on Anzac Eve.
“We have a 10-day break now. We need a bit of a freshen up and the break has come at a nice time,” Yze said.
“At this stage, Jacob Hopper might be available. Dylan Grimes might be available. To get some experience into the side would be handy, but some of our younger players have had opportunities.
“For Kane McAuliffe to get an opportunity against (Elliot) Yeo and Tim Kelly and get a full game of midfield minutes; Thomson Dow started terrifically. So while we are going through adversity, our younger players are getting some opportunities. We will keep giving them that, but hopefully we (also) get a couple back.
“It’s an amazing experience to play against Melbourne (on Anzac Eve) and it’s a great spectacle. As a footy club, we want to do that game justice, but players need a break.”
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