A look at every club’s injuries ahead of Round 2 of the interrupted 2020 season
At no point in the game’s history has the collective casualty list of the AFL looked better, but there’s still clubs with concerns. And there’s some good news for KFC SuperCoaches. SEE HOW YOUR CLUB IS TRACKING
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Let’s call it the No Excuses Cup.
As football prepares for its much-needed return in three weeks time, there has never been a better array of football talent ready to assemble for a full round of football.
A normal Round 2 suite of games would see many of the league’s stars missing for all the usual reasons – suspension, collision injuries, soft-tissue tears.
SCROLL DOWN FOR RALPHY’S TAKE ON EVERY CLUB
Instead as AFL stars Lance Franklin, Cale Hooker, Adam Treloar, Ollie Wines and Cal Ward roar back into contention after two months of recovery, we are about to see the best of the best going at it.
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Maybe not fully fit, but still ready to go.
No excuses for those AFL senior coaches about a lack of cattle in their sides.
A list of the Champion Data’s top 200 players from 2020 based purely on ranking points bears out this fantastic reality.
GWS star Tim Taranto is the 29th-ranked player on that list and while the shutdown shortens his period on the sidelines with shoulder surgery he is still set to miss 4-5 months in total.
Carlton’s Matthew Kreuzer (ranked 48th) needed Round 1 foot surgery, Essendon’s Dyson Heppell (ranked 57th) is still a month away with his own foot issues and Bulldog Lachie Hunter (ranked 60th) will miss four weeks through internal suspension.
But go through the top 200 based purely on ranking points last year (minimum 10 games) and no other player has had a line put through their names.
Every one of Robbo’s most recent top 50 from March is available (Taranto was already injured), even if we know the next three weeks of training will invariably see some collateral damage.
Joe Daniher, Charlie Curnow, Jack Steven, Dayne Beams, Levi Greenwood and Tom Langdon are among those not ready to suit up for Round 2.
And no one believes the injury toll will be anything other than significant as players attempt to hit full pace in coming weeks in preparation for the season to explode at warp speed.
Yet if the sight of Lance Franklin at full stride in Sydney this week doesn’t get pulse races you aren’t a footy purist.
He has benefited from two full months of training, and so have Cale Hooker (hip), Ollie Wines (shoulder), Mitch McGovern (abdominal/hip), and Patrick Ambrose (PCL).
At St Kilda Jade Gresham (PCL) and Ben Long (ankle) would have missed a month or more from Round 1 injuries but the Saints are totally injury free.
So is Richmond, but then again that won’t surprise its rivals.
Brisbane, Adelaide, Geelong (apart from Steven) and Melbourne have all returned with few or no players on their injury list.
Heck, even Harley Bennell is around the mark.
There might be no better reflection of the relative health of the AFL populous that a potential debut for footy’s most perennially injured player.
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EVERY CLUB’S INJURY LIST
ADELAIDE
Riley Knight was sidelined for the next month in Round 1 with achilles issues but now should be ready to resume. Non social-distancer Tom Doedee was ready to play a SANFL trial after his ACL surgery in Round 1 so is also fit but will have no SANFL return to. Matthew Nicks says he will have a greater clarity on his squad’s fitness later in the week. Tyson Stengle is suspended by the club after his drink-driving issues.
BRISBANE
Chris Fagan’s list is largely injury free and while they lowered their colours to Hawthorn in Round 1 they will have a run of home games with a fully fit list to choose from as they seek to set up their season. Stef Martin injured his PCL in that clash but the club says he should be fit to play.
CARLTON
Matthew Kreuzer (foot) is on track for a late season return and Charlie Curnow (knee) is done for the season but the Blues are confident Eddie Betts (hamstring), Zac Fisher (low-level syndesmosis) and Nic Newman (elbow) will all be ready by the week of June 11.
COLLINGWOOD
Adam Treloar was full training after hamstring concerns but suffered a minor calf strain at training, putting him in doubt for Round 2. Coach Nathan Buckley says Travis Varcoe is ready for full training after shoulder surgery with . Lynden Dunn is on track following another ACL tear, with Tim Broomhead and Flynn Appleby also pre-season concerns who have benefited from two months of rehab. Tom Langdon (knee) still needs to progress a degenerative knee to avert retirement while Levi Greenwood will be available in the back end of the year after a knee reconstruction.
ESSENDON
Joe Daniher is still out indefinitely with groin issues but Cale Hooker (hip surgery) and Patrick Ambrose (PCL strain) will be ready after benefitting from the eight-week break.
Sam Draper (ACL) is ready to step up his training while James Stewart is back in full training after a year-long groin issue. Dyson Heppell will miss the first few weeks of the return but has made significant progress after recovery from foot surgery was slowed by an infection.
FREMANTLE
One of the big winners from the stop-start year given their injury list. Jesse Hogan was out training on Monday after a mental health break, with Blake Acres able to rehab a 5-7 week hamstring in the past two months. David Mundy is ready to play after a broken leg that had seen him miss Round 1, while Joel Hamling won’t be too far off despite being 8-10 weeks away in Round 1 with a serious ankle injury. Stephen Hill’s long-running quad issues will be close to Justin Longmuir’s thoughts. Alex Pearce is still out with an ankle issue.
GEELONG
Geelong is thrilled the break has allowed Joel Selwood (hamstring) and Mitch Duncan (hip) a strong training block after they played Round 1 well short of a gallop. Jack Steven’s availability is now in doubt, with Nakia Cockatoo having to prove he is durable enough to return after continuing hamstring issues. Jake Kolodjashnij was a month away from a return in Round 1 with hip issues but should be ready to play by June 11.
GOLD COAST
Izak Rankine (hamstring) is AFL ready, while Pearce Hanley and Jarrod Harbrow are now back in action after missing Round 1 with niggles. Rory Thompson (knee) will be ready for a late-June return for a Suns side that had double-figure injuries by Round 1.
GWS
Tim Taranto is sidelined for 2-3 more months but Callan Ward will be around the mark after returning from an ACL tear, while Zac Williams should be ready to go given he was earmarked for a Round 2 return from achilles soreness when the AFL pulled the pin on its season.
HAWTHORN
Jack Gunston should be in a much better position after only just getting himself right for the early rounds following his summer ankle complaint. Jarman Impey (knee) is available in around July, while Blake Hardwick’s 10-week chest injury now means he has been able to rehabilitate it in the shutdown period. He is already in non-contact skill work this week. He could push for a Round 2 return. Daniel Howe had surgery to release a plantar fascia complaint in late March and will be slowly progressed.
MELBOURNE
Simon Goodwin says Melbourne’s list is now extremely healthy after an eight-week layoff with Harley Bennell to be available for selection in coming weeks and Christian Salem (glandular fever), Harry Petty (groin), Aaron vandenBerg (foot), Mitch Hannan (groin) among the players now in the mix and with good fitness bases under their belts.
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NORTH MELBOURNE
Most of North Melbourne’ first-choice players are available for selection with coach Rhyce Shaw saying Luke Davies-Uniacke was progressing well after pubic overload issues. It is unclear whether he’d play inside the first month, while Jack Ziebell will play in Round 2 despite a two-month knee injury from the opening game. Forward Kayne Turner is out for at least another month with a medial sesamoid fracture under his big left toe. Marley Williams has another week of suspension, while Ed Vickers-Willis continues to rehab a knee injury.
PORT ADELAIDE
Port Adelaide suffered a bizarre blow with Robbie Gray nursing a suspected broken toe after dropping a weight on his foot, but the club expects him to be right for Round 2. Ollie Wines (shoulder) and Charlie Dixon (groin) are now fully fit for Ken Hinkley’s mob and would have definitely missed time if Round 2 went as planned. Hamish Hartlett and Brad Ebert also pulled up sore in Round 1 but will be fully fit.
RICHMOND
Bachar Houli’s calf issue has abated after he missed Round 1 and the Tigers are at full strength, with Toby Nankervis (groin), Jack Graham (shoulder) and Jack Higgins (brain surgery) all fit by Round 1 but now having had more time to gain conditioning.
ST KILDA
St Kilda had few injuries leading into Round 1, with Jarryn Geary playing in that contest despite a facial fracture. Ben Long would have missed three weeks with a rolled ankle out of Round 1 but is ready, while Jade Gresham (PCL injury from Round 1) is in the same boat.
The break has given Jimmy Webster more time after an interrupted pre-season, while Jake Carlisle will be keen to secure a Round 2 berth after missing out in Round 1. He has strong competition in the back six but was hurt by missing some sessions close to Round 1.
SYDNEY
Buddy is back. That’s the biggest positive of all, but Sam Reid (knee surgery in March) will also be around the mark by the time footy is back. Ben Ronke (knee hyperextension) will begin running soon but that’s about the extent of the injury list.
WEST COAST
West Coast’s Jarrod Cameron is battling pubic bone stress so still needs time, while they will assess Tom Cole, who was out for 5-7 weeks with a thumb. Still no word on Willie Rioli’s ASADA penalty. But while Daniel Venables is out with concussion issues for the year, most of the first-choice stars are fit.
WESTERN BULLDOGS
Lachie Hunter will headline the Dogs’ list of absences for Round 2 and he has a full four-week internal suspension to serve before he returns.
But Tom Liberatore (knee) is ready to ramp up his bid for a Round 2 spot and the break has given Taylor Duryea (groin) time to get fit for what was listed as four more weeks on the sidelines leading into Round 2. Lin Jong suffered a serious hamstring injury over summer but also should have had a month of full fitness.
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