Collingwood’s Tom Mitchell set for first game of football since Anzac Day 2024.

The return of a Brownlow medallist after a year on the sidelines is the good news as injuries continue to mount for AFL teams.

Brownlow medallist Tom Mitchell is set to make his long-awaited return with Collingwood’s VFL side this weekend on managed minutes after finally overcoming a foot injury.

Mitchell, 30, hasn’t played at AFL level since Anzac Day in 2024, with his Saturday appearance ending a 380-day absence from the field.

As well as his foot injury, Mitchell, who won his Brownlow medal in 2018, also had his appendix removed last year and will build his way back up to AFL level.

“Yeah getting very close to playing again, it’s been a long time coming,” Mitchell said.

“I’ll be playing half a game this weekend for the first time over 12 months, I am very excited to run out and play again.

“I am excited just to play footy again, I’ll worry about selection and those things in the weeks to come, I just want to get out there and play footy.

“I will play a half this week, three quarters the following week and see where we’re at.”

Tom Mitchell last played AFL on Anzac Day, 2024. Picture: Mark Stewart

NORTH MELBOURNE defender Miller Bergman will be sidelined indefinitely after rupturing his ACL in the VFL last weekend.

Miller was dealt the blow in the dying minutes of the Roos’ clash with Essendon.

“The club medical staff will review with specialists this week for the best course of action moving forward in regard to Miller,” North Melbourne head of performance Kevin White said.

Miller joins heart and soul defender Jackson Archer who was ruled out for two months.

“It continues a frustrating season to date for Jackson who has had no luck in building consistency of game loading due to suspension and prior injury,” White said.

“He will attack his rehab and come back in the second half of the year ready to impact.”

ESSENDON has lost star defender Jordan Ridley for eight weeks with a bad hamstring strain suffered in the win over North Melbourne which also resulted in a bad ankle injury to forward Harrison Jones with his return yet to be decided.

Jade Gresham will also miss a week with a low-grade adductor strain but key midfielder Jye Caldwell has been cleared to make his return from a hamstring injury.

The 24-year-old hasn’t featured since round three.

The Brisbane Lions will be without forward Sam Day for six weeks after he injured his hamstring in Saturday’s Q-clash win over his old side the Gold Coast Suns.

Day was subbed out during the first quarter and back running at training on Tuesday but was sent for scans which confirmed a bad hamstring strain

Originally published as Collingwood’s Tom Mitchell set for first game of football since Anzac Day 2024.