AFL injury news: Find out who is hurt and who is healthy at your club
As the mid-season draft looms large, the Blues have placed Oscar McDonald on the club’s inactive list for the remainder of 2022.
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Key Blue Oscar McDonald will miss the rest of the season as he continues to recover from a stress fracture in his back.
McDonald, 26, suffered back spasms in the team’s Round 2 win over the Western Bulldogs and despite exploring a number of different avenues for treatment, he will be sidelined for the remainder of the year.
As the mid-season draft looms large, the Blues have placed McDonald on the club’s inactive list, meaning a spot now becomes vacant on the team list.
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“Oscar worked as hard as anyone over the summer to earn a spot in our 22 for the start of the season, that is what makes this news even more disappointing,” Carlton head of football Brad Lloyd said on Thursday.
“For nearly two months we explored every possible avenue available to get Oscar up and going however it wasn’t to be. We will now put our focus in making sure Oscar is able to rehabilitate the injury over the remainder of the season.”
The call on McDonald marks the second injury blow within a week for the Blues, who lost Zac Williams earlier this week to a high-grade calf strain that will sideline him for at least 10 weeks.
ADELAIDE
Rory Sloane – Season
Paul Seedsman – Concussion – ongoing
Young gun Riley Thilthorpe is poised to return to Adelaide’s AFL side for the first time since Round 1.
Thilthorpe, who was dropped after the Crows’ season-opening loss to Fremantle, lined up with the A side during match simulation in the club’s main training session at Adelaide Oval on Wednesday, an indication he would be picked for the home game against St Kilda on Saturday night.
Lachlan Murphy was on the same side, putting him in line for a recall after missing last weekend’s match due to neck soreness.
Elliott Himmelberg looms as the key forward to make way for Thilthorpe, featuring on the second-choice team on Saturday.
First-year players Josh Rachele and Jake Soligo sat out part of the session.
Assistant coach Nathan van Berlo said they were being managed but would be available on Saturday night.
Van Berlo said Thilthorpe was feeling fresh, launching at the ball in the air and covering the ground well.
Adelaide may have to make a late selection call on key defender Jordon Butts, who comes out of Covid protocols on Saturday.
Nick Murray, who came into the team for Butts last weekend, trained with the A side on Wednesday.
-Simeon Thomas-Wilson
BRISBANE
Dan McStay – Ankle – 3-4 weeks
Kai Lohmann – Ankle – 3-4 weeks
Eric Hipwood – ACL – 1 week
Joe Daniher – Shoulder – 3 -5 weeks
Gabby Collingwood – ACL / MCL – Season
Kate Lutkins – ACL – Season
CARLTON
David Cuningham Knee TBC
Ed Curnow Calf 2-4 weeks
Josh Honey Knee 1 week
Jack Martin Calf 1 week
Oscar McDonald Back Indefinite
Mitch McGovern Hamstring 8-10 weeks
Harry McKay Knee 5 weeks
Luke Parks Foot 11 weeks
Marc Pittonet Knee 5-9 weeks
Liam Stocker Shoulder Test
Zac Williams Calf 10-12 weeks
Carlton’s defensive playmaker Zac Williams has dodged a dreaded achilles tendon rupture and will instead be sidelined with a high-grade calf injury.
The Blues believe Williams will miss 10-12 weeks but it is a best-case scenario given the likely 12-month recovery had he torn his achilles.
Williams is in the second season of a five-year deal as a dashing half back and slumped to the Giants Stadium turf early in the victory over GWS.
-Jon Ralph
COLLINGWOOD
Charlie Dean Foot 5-6 weeks
Jamie Elliott Shoulder Test
Jack Ginnivan Illness Available
Brodie Grundy Knee 8 weeks
Ash Johnson Hamstring 3-4 weeks
Will Kelly Hip 2 weeks
Nathan Kreuger Shoulder 12-13 weeks
Jack Magden Shoulder 6 weeks
Jordan Roughead Finger 1-2 weeks
Tom Wilson Back 3-4 months
Scott Pendlebury Illness Available
AFL football’s longest current consecutive games streak – and the 11th longest of all-time – is in some doubt with Collingwood midfielder Jack Crisp recovering from home with illness.
While the Magpies are still hopeful last year’s Copeland Trophy winner can still make the trip to Perth to tackle the Dockers on Sunday, he and Steele Sidebottom missed training on Wednesday morning, putting a question mark on whether they will be right to play this weekend.
Crisp hasn’t missed a game since joining the Magpies from the Brisbane Lions and has played 172 games straight in a remarkable stretch since 2014.
Collingwood has been hit by illness – which is not Covid-related – in recent weeks with captain Scott Pendlebury and young gun Jack Ginnivan missing last week’s loss to the Western Bulldogs.
A few weeks earlier Jordan De Goey and Will Hoskin-Elliott had been ill and missed training, but ended up playing against Gold Coast.
-Glenn McFarlane
ESSENDON
Jye Caldwell – Shoulder – Test
Nik Cox – Foot – TBC
Michael Hurley – Hip – Indefinite
Harrison Jones – Ankle – Test
Kyle Langford – Hamstring – 1-2 weeks
Andrew Phillips – Hamstring – Test
Will Snelling – Calf – 1-2 weeks
James Stewart – Calf – Test
Jake Stringer – Hamstring – 1-2 weeks
Patrick Voss – Foot – 2-4 weeks
FREMANTLE
Alex Pearce – ankle – test
Matt Taberner – hamstring – test
Sam Switkowski – concussion – test
Joel Hamling – knee – test
Nathan O’Driscoll – foot – TBA
Nat Fyfe – back – TBA
A trio of forwards, including spearhead Matt Taberner, are a chance to bolster Fremantle’s attack against Collingwood on Sunday.
While captain Nat Fyfe (back) is set to receive a return to play date next week and defender Alex Pearce (ankle) faces a race against the clock.
Forwards Taberner (hamstring), Michael Walters (H & S protocols), and Sam Switkowski (concussion) have all been listed as tests ahead of Sir Doug Nicholls Indigenous Round.
-Eliza Reilly/West Australian
GEELONG
Jon Ceglar Foot 4 weeks
Jack Henry Foot TBC
Shaun Higgins General soreness Test
Max Holmes Ankle TBC
Sam Menegola Knee Test
Esava Ratugolea Ankle 4-6 weeks
Sam Simpson Concussion TBC
Rhys Stanley Ankle Test
Electric Geelong forward Gary Rohan will be given freedom to swing into the midfield to find more of the ball on his AFL return against Port Adelaide.
Rohan hasn’t stepped on the AFL field yet this season and has played just two VFL matches after picking up a back injury inpre-season.
He has been on a dedicated program to get ready for the top level without a long run in the reserves and is ready to return against the Power on Saturday.
Having been played almost exclusively as a deep forward for most of his career, Rohan trained in the midfield at times over the pre-season and started some centre bounces in the VFL.
In 28 of his 59 games for Geelong, Rohan has registered less than 10 possessions, playing in a position up forward often described as “the graveyard”.
Rhys Stanley spent much of the first quarter in the changerooms after aggravating the same ankle he injured two weeks prior ina loss to Fremantle.
The Cats have been happy with the progress of injured midfielder Sam Simpson in recent weeks as he works his way back froma concussion setback. Simpson hasn’t played this season but has been notably more active in training in recent weeks.
-Josh Barnes
GOLD COAST
Jeremy Sharp Hip Test
Josh Corbett Hip 1 week
Jack Lukosius Knee TBA
Ben King Knee Season
Bodhi Uwland Back Indefinite
GWS
Conor Stone – Hamstring – TBC
Finn Callaghan – Shoulder – 2 weeks
Daniel Lloyd – Arm – 3-4 weeks
Phil Davis – Hamstring – 3-5 weeks
Jacob Hopper – Knee – 5-7 weeks
Brent Daniels – Hamstring – 5-7 weeks
Jack Buckley – Knee – 6-8 weeks
HAWTHORN
Changkuoth Jiath – hamstring – test
Emerson Jeka – hamstring – 5 weeks
Tom Phillips – ankle – 6 weeks
Josh Ward – concussion – TBC
Jack Gunston – ankle – TBC
Ned Reeves – shoulder – TBC
Ben McEvoy – neck – TBC
Tyler Brockman – shoulder – season
MELBOURNE
Kade Chandler Suspended Round 12
James Harmes Hamstriing TBC
Michael Hibberd Calf TBC
Blake Howes Foot 8-10 weeks
Andy Moniz-Wakefield Concussion Test
Christian Salem Knee 1 week
Joel Smith Ankle 7-8 weeks
James Harmes is set to miss up to three weeks with a hamstring injury, Michael Hibberd is on the verge of a return afterbattling calf issues and Christian Salem is inching closer to a comeback from knee surgery.
-Russell Gould
NORTH MELBOURNE
Miller Bergman Shoulder Season
Aiden Bonar Hamstring 3 weeks
Charlie Comben Knee Test
Ben Cunnington Testicular cancer Indefinite
Eddie Ford Ankle 1-2 weeks
Aaron Hall Hamstring Test
Jason Horne-Francis Hamstring Test
Ben McKay Knee 1 week
Jared Polec Foot 1-2 weeks
Jy Simpkin Hamstring Test
Phoenix Spicer Hamstring 1-2 weeks
Tristan Xerri Foot 1 week
PORT ADELAIDE
Riley Bonner – Ankle – 2-3 weeks
Scott Lycett – Shoulder – 10-11 weeks
Trent McKenzie – Knee – 3-5 weeks
Jake Pasini – Knee – Season
Josh Sinn – Groin – TBC
Charlie Dixon is likely to play in the SANFL again this weekend with Port Adelaide set to resist bringing back its spearhead for its trip to Geelong. Dixon started off Tuesday’s training session on the sidelines with key defender Trent McKenzie — who is still three to fiveweeks away — as the main group warmed up.
Port Adelaide has positioned itself to enter into the mid-season draft after moving defender Jake Pasini to the Power’s in active list.
Pasini ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee after landing awkwardly in a marking contest at training lastweek.
It came as the key defender, from Western Australia, was pushing for an AFL debut.
The 21-year-old had a successful knee reconstruction on Thursday and will miss the rest of the season.
The Power has been given the approval by the AFL to transfer Pasini to their inactive list.
-Simeon Thomas-Wilson
RICHMOND
Noah Balta Hamstring 4-6 weeks
Josh Gibcus H & S protocols Test
Jack Graham Toe Test
Marlion Pickett Suspension Round 11
Richmond will be without Noah Balta and potentially Jack Graham for Saturday night’s Dreamtime return to the MCG.
Tigers coach Damien Hardwick confirmed Balta (hamstring) would miss this weekend’s clash with Essendon and not return after the club’s round 12 bye in early June.
Balta’s absence is set to open the door for Robbie Tarrant to reclaim his spot, with Hardwick hinting they may give Josh Gibcus(Covid) an extra week to recover despite him exiting health and safety protocols on Wednesday.
Graham (ankle) has shown improvement in recent days but Richmond may also err on the side of caution with him, too, given the short turnaround to its round 11 game against Sydney.
-Marc McGowan
ST KILDA
Captain Jack Steele will need surgery on his AC joint and could miss up to eight weeks in a significant blow to the club’s hopes of a top four push.
Steele was injured on half time in the victory over Geelong but managed to battle on and showed remarkable courage to finish the game.
SYDNEY
Harry Cunningham Abdominal TBC
Sam Naismith Knee Season
James Rowbottom Suspension Round 11
Angus Sheldrick Knee 4 weeks
WEST COAST
Oscar Allen Foot TBC
Campbell Chesser Ankle Inactive
Tom Cole Ankle Inactive
Luke Edwards Groin TBC
Luke Foley Concussion 1-2 weeks
Andrew Gaff Quad Test
Shannon Hurn Calf 2 weeks
Tom Joyce Ankle TBC
Josh Kennedy Knee 1 week
Zac Langdon Ankle TBC
Xavier O’Neill Knee 6-7 weeks
Nic Naitanui Knee 7-8 weeks
Jack Petruccelle Hamstring 3-4 weeks
Willie Rioli Hamstring 3-4 weeks
Liam Ryan Hamstring 3 weeks
Dom Sheed Ankle 1-2 weeks
Luke Shuey Hamstring Test
West Coast star forward Liam Ryan will miss around three weeks of football after being subbed out of the club’s clash with Melbourne following a hamstring injury.Ryan, who was already ruled out of the game against GWS on Sunday through suspension, is one of four Eagles listed on the injury report with a hamstring concern – alongside Willie Rioli, Jack Petruccelle and Luke Shuey.
However, West Coast are hopeful their star skipper, as well as midfielder Andrew Gaff (quad), will get through training this week and be available for their clash with the Giants.
-Samantha Rogers/West Australian
WESTERN BULLDOGS
Jason Johannisen – calf – test
Aaron Naughton – knee – test
Tim O’Brien – calf – test
Stefan Martingeneral – soreness – test
Tim English – illness – 1-2 weeks
Cody Weightman – collarbone – 1-2 weeks
Riley Garcia – knee – 1-2 weeks
Mitch Wallis – foot – 1-2 weeks
Josh Bruce – knee – 4-5 weeks
Toby McLean – knee – 4-5 weeks
Laitham Vandermeer – hamstring – 6-7 weeks
Mitch Hannan – concussion – indefinite
Lachie Hunter – personal – indefinite
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AFL football’s longest current consecutive games streak – and the 11th longest of all-time – is in some doubt with Collingwood midfielder Jack Crisp recovering from home with illness.
While the Magpies are still hopeful last year’s Copeland Trophy winner can still make the trip to Perth to tackle the Dockers on Sunday, he and Steele Sidebottom missed training on Wednesday morning, putting a question mark on whether they will be right to play this weekend.
Crisp hasn’t missed a game since joining the Magpies from the Brisbane Lions and has played 172 games straight in a remarkable stretch since 2014.
Collingwood has been hit by illness – which is not Covid-related – in recent weeks with captain Scott Pendlebury and young gun Jack Ginnivan missing last week’s loss to the Western Bulldogs.
A few weeks earlier Jordan De Goey and Will Hoskin-Elliott had been ill and missed training, but ended up playing against Gold Coast.
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Crisp had this week been due to draw level with Richmond legend Kevin Bartlett (173) in the top 10 list of players who have played 100 or more consecutive matches.
The late Melbourne champion Jim Stynes holds the record for the most consecutive games in VFL-AFL history, with 244 straight matches played from 1987-1998.
Others in the top 10 include Adem Yze (Melbourne, 226), Adam Goodes (Sydney, 204), Jack ‘Skinny’ Titus (Richmond, 202), Brett Kirk (Sydney, 200), Jared Crouch (Sydney, 194), Jock McHale (Collingwood, 191), Andy Collins (Hawthorn, 189), Kane Cornes (Port Adelaide 174) and Bartlett (173).
Crisp, 28, has played a total of 184 games with Collingwood and Brisbane – with 172 of them in a row.
Crisp, who has become one of the Magpies’ most important players in recent seasons, is owned by more than 60,000 SuperCoach teams.
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