AFL pre-season injury news: All the latest updates from around the competition
One of the year’s top SuperCoach bargains is unlikely to be fit for the start of the season after another pre-season setback. CALLUM DICK has details.
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Rebounding Brisbane defender Keidean Coleman has suffered a setback in his ACL rehabilitation and now appears unlikely to be fit in time for Opening Round.
Coleman, 24, experienced swelling in his left knee and has been told to stop running until it subsides.
The club would not put a timeline on Coleman’s return but with less than a month until the season opener against Geelong, it seems unlikely he will be fit to feature.
It’s much better news for the other three members of Brisbane’s ACL rehabilitation group.
The club anticipates Lincoln McCarthy and Darcy Gardiner are four weeks away from being fit for selection, which would put both forwards in the frame for Opening Round.
Defender Tom Doedee is 7-9 weeks away from being available.
Co-captain Lachie Neale made important strides in his return from a plantar fascia injury when he took part in Friday’s intraclub match at Brighton Homes Arena.
The club expects ruckman Oscar McInerney (shoulder) and defender Brandon Starcevich (quad) to be fit for next week’s intraclub.
Vice-captain Hugh McCluggage (ankle) and first round draftee Levi Ashcroft (shoulder) remain on-track for the February 20 practice match against Gold Coast and Collingwood.
Key forwards Eric Hipwood (groin) and Henry Smith (shoulder) are expected back the following week for Brisbane’s Community Series clash against Adelaide at Brighton Homes Arena.
DE GOEY OPENS UP ON DOHA, PRE-SEASON TIMELINE
Collingwood premiership star Jordan de Goey has declared a 10-day training program in Doha as “life changing” in the bid to combat persistent soft-tissue setbacks.
De Goey, set to resume running on Friday, with a hope to return to full training late next week after a minor bone bruise, praised the experience at Aspetar, a renowned sports medicine facility in the Qatari capital Doha.
“Doha was unbelievable,” de Goey said at the Racing Victoria Festival of Racing launch on Thursday at Flemington.
“A life changing experience, I think the practices they do over there is second to none.
“I’ve never seen it before, I learned so much and was able to bring it back to the footy club so a lot of the other blokes are benefiting from it now.”
De Goey, who played just 13 games last season plagued by a groin issue, has sights on Round 0 against GWS Giants in Sydney, with any pre-season appearances rated “see how we go” propositions.
Collingwood has a practice game against Gold Coast on February 20 in Queensland and a Community Series Match on February 26 at Princes Park against Richmond.
“We’ll see how we go (pre-season games) … no rush on that,” de Goey said.
“Obviously I’ve had the groin for a long time now, that’s just come good.
“I don’t really want to risk anything at this stage, let the leg heal and go from there.
“Let it recover, let it heal, it’s just bone bruising at the end of the day, like any bruise it will settle at some stage and I should be ready to go from there.”
De Goey sustained the innocuous bone bruise in a training incident last week.
“The body is actually alright, unfortunately I got a bit of bone bruising to my leg,” de Goey said.
“We didn’t know about it early on but we do know now … I’ll probably be back running, hopefully tomorrow (Friday), and back into the full program by the end of next week.”
Collingwood is close to full strength on the training track, with the exception of de Goey and Tom Mitchell, after Nick and Josh Daicos returned to the main group on Wednesday.
A plantar fascia issue slowed Nick Daicos while Josh last month dealt with a calf complaint.
“I don’t want to jinx it or say anything like that, but everyone seems to be going well,” de Goey said.
“Not too many soft tissue injuries but as we’ve seen across the AFL it can change overnight.”
Dual premiership star Steele Sidebottom echoed de Goey.
“We’re in a great position right now, the list is pretty healthy and that’s the big challenge going into the season,” Sidebottom said.
“Jordy is one we’ll obviously look to have up and running for Round 0 and he’s someone we need to be playing well to complement our team.”
DOCKERS ROCKED AS RUCK’S FAULTLESS PRE-SEASON HIT BY SETBACK
Fremantle ruckman Sean Darcy is in significant doubt to feature in round one after undergoing ankle surgery on Thursday.
While the surgery is considered minor and will clear an infection, it involves removing a screw from Darcy’s right ankle which was operated on in July, 2023.
It’s the latest setback in a long list of injury blows for the 26-year-old who only managed 12 games in 2024.
Darcy is yet to feature in match simulation this pre-season and has spent the bulk of summer in rehabilitation since undergoing knee surgery at the end of last season.
The Dockers remain hopeful he’ll feature in the early rounds of the season.
“Sean saw a specialist yesterday regarding the infection and it was agreed that the right call is to remove the screw to ensure that aren’t any long-term ongoing issues with infection,” Fremantle football manager Joe Brierty said.
“The removal of this screw will mean that Darcy will have a couple of weeks de-loading to recover from the procedure before recommencing training.
“All going well, it is anticipated that there will only be a small adjustment to his return to play timelines with the aim to return to football in the early rounds of the season.”
Darcy spent last week at the Aspetar Sports Medical Clinic in Doha to continue work on his knee rehab. The clinic has become a hotspot for AFL stars looking to improve their durability.
Dockers defender Heath Chapman played 16 games last year after paying a visit to Doha to investigate a series of hamstring injuries. While West Coast veterans Elliot Yeo and Jeremy McGovern finished top two in the Eagles best and fairest after travelling to Aspetar following several injury-ravaged seasons.
Brierty praised Darcy’s commitment to his rehabilitation.
“The way he attacked that time over in Doha with the specialists was great to see, and he’s brought back some really important exercises that will assist his function and movement,” he said. “He’s really excited about what this will do for his knee strength into the future.
“Sean has been training diligently throughout pre-season and pleasingly he can continue to implement his knee program during this period as he prepares to return to full-training.”
This season shapes as a make or break campaign for the 203cm big man after signing a six-year contract extension late in 2023.
Mature age ruck Liam Reidy is waiting in the wings if Darcy is ruled out for Round 1.
VETERAN EAGLE’S SEASON OVER BEFORE IT STARTED
West Coast premiership hero Dom Sheed will miss the entire 2025 season after rupturing the ACL in his right knee at training on Monday.
Sheed, 29, was seen speaking to medical staff at training after coming from the ground in some discomfort. The midfielder gestured at his knee and attempted to shake out his leg before heading indoors for further assessment.
But scans revealed the shocking news with Sheed’s season now over before it started.
“Unfortunately, Dom ruptured his ACL in an innocuous incident during training on Monday,” General Manager Football Gavin Bell said. “It is extremely disappointing news for Dom after a wretched run with injuries over recent seasons, and I know our players, staff and entire Club will offer him their full support during his rehabilitation.
“We will take some time now to consult with Dom and medical experts about the next step, and we will provide a further update at the appropriate time.”
The heartbreaking blow is the latest in a lengthy list of recent setbacks for Sheed. Hamstring and foot injuries have limited him to just 24 games in the past three seasons.
The left-footer etched his name in West Coast folklore when he kicked the winning goal against Collingwood in the 2018 grand final.
Out of contract at the end of the season, Sheed may have already played his last game for the Eagles against North Melbourne in round 14 last year. It’s understood that the left-footer was aware of the harsh reality that he was unlikely to receive an extension beyond 2025 as the Eagles continue a lengthy rebuild.
Star midfielder Elliot Yeo (knee and ankle) is expected to miss the start of the season while Harley Reid is managing a lower leg issue.
HAMSTRING MANIA STRIKES AGAIN
Melbourne veteran forward Jake Melksham is the latest player to fall victim to the league’s spate of hamstring injuries.
The sharpshooter suffered a hamstring strain at training and is expected to be sidelined for at least three to four weeks as he recovers.
The injury means the former Bomber is in doubt to play in the club’s season-opener against GWS Giants in Round 1 as the Demons are unlikely to take any risks with the 33-year-old heading into the new season.
The strain continues the series of hamstring injuries around the league in recent weeks which have sidelined a string of players including Western Bulldogs’ Liam Jones and Jason Johannisen, North Melbourne’s George Wardlaw and Essendon’s Matt Guelfi.
The glut of hamstring injuries has ignited the debate about players’ training loads in pre-season and whether the intensity of training had left players vulnerable to increased soft tissue injuries.
While the club is hopeful Melksham’s strain will not keep him out for an extended period, his absence for at least the next month is a blow heading into the new season.
The Demons want to improve their firepower forward next season and kept Melksham on the list to provide a versatile marking target and leadership in a young attacking setup.
It was planned Melksham would help partner young tyros Jacob van Rooyen, Daniel Turner and VFL mature-age pick-up Aidan Johnson in attack in 2025.
But Melksham could face a delayed start to what could be his final AFL season after the hamstring setback, pending on his recovery and response over the next few weeks.
The 229-gamer played eight matches for eight goals last year in his recovery from a shattering ACL injury which sidelined him for the 2023 finals series and the bulk of the following season.
The forward is regarded as one of the most accurate and clutch set shots in the competition.
ROSS BACKS ROWAN FOR ROUND 1
St Kilda coach Ross Lyon is confident his star ruck Rowan Marshall will be available for selection to start the season, despite the club holding initial concerns he would be unavailable.
Marshall was initially diagnosed with a stress fracture on his pelvis, with the club last week ruling him out for the next 5-8 weeks.
Even a five-week absence would mean his availability would be touch-and-go for the club’s season opener against Adelaide on March 16, with six weeks between the initial diagnosis and the match.
But Lyon said on Tuesday that Marshall would “definitely play round 1”.
“A little bit unusual; a bit of a stress injury, or a precursor like a hotspot … we did a leadership camp in New Zealand and he actually slipped going down a bit of a hill so we think that just sort of flared it up,” he said to AFL.com.au.
“We had a CAT scan, there’s no stress or fracture, it’s just settled and he’s moving so he’ll probably appreciate the rest of a week or two.”
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