AFL 2023: Follow the latest injury news as season 2023 approaches
Two key Tigers, including a big off-season signing look set to be right for the opener against Carlton after delayed pre-seasons. Check out all the pre-season injury news here.
Richmond recruit Jacob Hopper is close to full fitness after a 2022 season that was ruined by a persistent knee injury.
Hopper played just seven games for Greater Western Sydney last year after being sidelined for four months with the issue.
However, the 25-year-old midfielder has barely missed a beat over his first pre-season at Punt Rd.
“He’s been able to do almost the whole training block,” Richmond assistant coach Andrew McQualter said.
“He does a little bit less on one of the training days but for the majority of pre-season he has been able to do all the work and looks good.”
Richmond key forward Tom Lynch again missed main training on Thursday as he continues to recover form foot surgery before Christmas.
“Lynchy hasn’t trained yet but he’s really building up his running,” McQualter said.
“Hopefully in the next few weeks he’ll be back into training and be in good shape.
“He’s had enough pre-seasons under his belt that he’ll be able to pick it up quickly.”
Former Geelong midfielder-forward Quinton Narkle is continuing to train with the Tigers in search of a rookie list spot through the Pre-Season Supplemental Selection Period.
“He’s had a terrific campaign with us,” McQualter said.
“Two weeks before Christmas he joined us and he was really able to dedicate himself over the break and lose some weight and get himself into shape where he’s performing really well. He’s put his hand up for sure.”
Richmond faces Carlton in a Round 1 showdown on March 16.
Injury wrap: Hawks gun to miss round 1
One of Hawthorn’s leading forwards faces a delayed start to the season after hurting his knee at training earlier this week.
Scans have confirmed that young key forward Mitch Lewis suffered a sprain of his anterior cruciate ligament at training on Monday, which is not expected to require surgery but will take some time to mend.
“We will monitor Mitch’s progress closely over the coming weeks,” Hawthorn head doctor Liam West said.
“He will certainly spend some time on the sidelines though and, at this stage, we expect him to miss Round 1.
“Whilst this is the same knee he injured last season, it is an unrelated injury.”
Lewis was the Hawks’ second-highest goalkicker last season with 37 majors, finishing behind only veteran Luke Bruest (40 goals).
His strong goalkicking tally came despite him playing only 15 games as hamstring and knee injuries struck.
The breakout season saw Lewis finish sixth in Hawthorn’s best-and-fairest count.
The Hawks are set to host arch-rival Essendon in a Round 1 showdown at the MCG on March 19, followed by games against Sydney, North Melbourne and Geelong in the opening month of the season.
Bomber blow: Details of B&F winner’s injury revealed
– Jay Clark
Essendon says key forward Peter Wright could return to training as soon as next week after hurting his calf on Wednesday.
Wright came off the ground midway the Bombers’ match simulation session complaining of calf soreness to club medicos.
But an Essendon spokesman on Wednesday said the issue was only minor and may only sideline the 2022 best-and-fairest winner for a small number of training sessions.
It is hoped he could return next week after the Bombers return from a mandated five-day break this weekend, pending further assessment.
It is a major relief for Essendon, which has already lost recruit Sam Weideman to a quad problem and James Stewart to a foot issue. The pair remain in the rehab group.
Fellow key forward Harry Jones was also on light duties on Wednesday as he returns from an ankle injury.
Jones could also return to main training next week.
Top draft pick Elijah Tsatas is also facing at least two months on the sidelines after tearing his meniscus at training last week.
Wright is one of the Bombers’ most important players after a career-best year in attack last season spearheading Essendon’s forward line with 53 goals.
He is expected to be available when Essendon ramps up training for the practice matches next month.
The Bombers are eager to improve their connection forward and goalscoring options next season with the return of Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti from retirement.
Moore breaks silence on infection, Pies captaincy
– Rebecca Williams
Collingwood star defender Darcy Moore is confident he will be fit to play in round one as he opened up on the bone infection which put him in hospital late last year.
Speaking for the first time about the infection which delayed his start to the pre-season, the Magpies’ captaincy candidate said he was relieved to be back on the track and building up his training program after a “rough few months”.
Moore resumed running for the first time at training last week after it was discovered he had been suffering from osteomyelitis, an inflammation that occurs in the bone.
The 26-year-old revealed the infection had been discovered after he felt “irregular soreness” as he started to build up his off-season training.
Moore said he was fortunate the infection was detected early and treatment went smoothly.
“I have had a pretty smooth return the last couple of weeks since we’ve been back this year, so I’m just happy to be back running and moving and kicking footys again and hanging out with teammates,” Moore said on Monday.
“It’s an exciting time for me after a rough few months. (I’m) building really well, the physios, medical team, and conditioning team are all taking really good care of me and have a really solid plan to get back.
“It was obviously a bit of an unusual one, probably uncommon. It was a bit of an unlucky thing to go through.
“But fortunately the medical team and staff in the hospital were really diligent and we were able to get a really early diagnosis, which was really accurate and then treatment pretty much went as smoothly as it possibly could.
“I’m very relieved and just happy to be out of hospital and running some laps at training again, it feels good.
“Obviously spending time in hospital is never a joy … having troubles with your health is never nice.”
Moore said he hoped to build towards a solid block of football training towards the end of the pre-season as he targeted the Magpies’ round one clash against Geelong at the MCG.
“(I’m) building up running and starting to build up some agility work as well and some football movement, so jumping, cutting and those sorts of things at high speed,” Moore said.
“That will be the thing that I build up slowly over the next few weeks and put it all together and get a solid football block in hopefully towards the end of the pre-season and be ready to go for the season.”
“I am (confident for round one). I’m feeling really good so far, but it’s still early days and more than anything (I’m) just happy to be back moving again and back around the boys.”
Moore’s comments came as Collingwood kicked off a three-day pre-season training camp in Lorne on Monday.
The All-Australian backman is considered one of the leading contenders to replace Scott Pendlebury as Collingwood’s next captain along with Taylor Adams and Jeremy Howe.
Moore served as one of Pendlebury’s three deputies last season alongside Adams and Howe after he was appointed to the vice-captaincy for the first time.
As the son of club great and former Collingwood captain Peter, Moore admitted it would be a “nice sentimental thing” if he was to follow in his father’s footsteps and be named skipper.
But Moore gave little away about his desire for the role when quizzed about it on Monday.
“It’s obviously something that has been spoken about a lot and we’re as excited as anyone for what the future holds for the leadership of the team,” Moore said.
“There are obviously a few of us that have got some experience in the team now and some experience leading the team in the leadership group.
“You develop really close bonds and lots of trust among those senior guys …. I think for us internally it is a little bit more about the collective of the senior guys of the team.
“You need all of them to be on board to drive the team forward. That’s certainly been Scott’s (strength) over nine years to empower others.
“It’s not about me, the club is going through a process to find the right person and the right leadership structure which involves people from all different parts of the organisation having a say and it’s a bigger decision than that.
“I think there is definitely a group of us who have all got the experience and the traits that are definitely capable of doing it, so we’ll see what happens.”
Pendlebury announced last month he was stepping down as skipper after nine years in the role – the club’s longest serving captain.
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