AFL 2022: Which new faces could feature for your club in Round 1

A hefty final pre-season defeat has been tempered by some positive player news, with Collingwood set to be reinforced by a number of first-choice players against the Saints in round one.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 18: Jack Crisp tackles Patrick Lipinski of the Magpies during a Collingwood Magpies AFL intra club match at Olympic Park on February 18, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/Getty Images)

Collingwood has dodged more early season injury pain, with several important Magpies expected to be fit for next week’s round 1 clash with St Kilda at Marvel Stadium.

Recruits Patrick Lipinski (ankle) and Nathan Kreuger (concussion), plus Nathan Murphy (ankle), were the latest players to go down in Sunday’s 41-point loss to Greater Western Sydney.

Kreuger and Murphy won’t be available for selection but first-choice Pies Lipinski, Jeremy Howe (adductor), Isaac Quaynor (concussion), Taylor Adams (hamstring) and Brody Mihocek (illness) are on track to play.

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Patrick Lipinski is expected to be fit for the Magpies’ opener.

Second-year swingman Liam McMahon (ankle) is also expected to be cleared by then.

It’s positive news for Collingwood, which is challenging star defender Brayden Maynard’s two-match striking ban at the AFL Tribunal on Tuesday evening.

The Magpies are already going to start the season without key defenders Jordan Roughead (shoulder) and Charlie Dean (foot).

They hope to regain Roughead as early as round 4 but Dean may not return until June.

Tigers and Roos already on back foot

- Rebecca Williams and Jon Ralph

Richmond has been dealt a blow on the eve of the season with new co-captain Dylan Grimes undergoing surgery on an injured thumb.

The surgery leaves Grimes in doubt for the Tigers’ big Round 1 clash against Carlton at the MCG next Thursday.

Richmond confirmed on Monday Grimes had undergone an operation to repair a ligament injury to his left thumb.

The three-time premiership defender injured his thumb in the second quarter of Saturday’s AAMI Community Series match against Hawthorn in Launceston.

He was able to return to the ground in the second half after icing the injury.

Grimes is coming off a best-and-fairest season for the Tigers after claiming his first Jack Dyer Medal ahead of Liam Baker and Jack Graham last year.

Dylan Grimes is undergoing surgery on an injured thumb and Jed Anderson is still some weeks off as he works on his fitness.

Two major reasons why Roos will be slow out of the blocks

North Melbourne is resigned to two of its contested beasts making significantly delayed starts to the season as the club’s ruck battle heats up ahead of round 1.

The Roos can welcome back Ben McKay (concussion), Callum Coleman-Jones (knee bone bruising), Cam Zurhaar (general soreness) and Will Phillips (illness) from the side that pushed Sydney in Sunday’s AAMI Stadium clash.

The club takes on Hawthorn on Sunday week in a 1.10pm MCG clash.

But hard midfielder Jed Anderson remains up to 10 weeks away from an AFL return as he works his way back into AFL shape.

Anderson stood out of training in Darwin while he awaited the novavax vaccine and while he is back at Arden St he is still in need of significant conditioning.

It means he will take 8-10 weeks to finish his own pre-season before filtering back through the VFL.

Star midfielder Ben Cunnington has finished his chemotherapy treatment after testicular cancer but is only just back running and is likely months from a return.

The Roos believe if he returns in the back third of the season it would be a pleasant surprise, determined to look after his health rather than his football output this season.

The club’s ruck battle is intriguing given Todd Goldstein has responded strongly since being put in the seconds team behind Callum Coleman-Jones and Tristan Xerri several weeks back.

He was excellent in that game and performed strongly against Sydney, with Xerri a lock for Round 1 given his continued strong form.

The Roos are keen for evergreen Goldstein to buy into a contested style as the out-of-contract

St Kilda offered only pick 62 in a trade for Xerri, with the strong-bodied ruckman putting in a massive summer to be a round 1 lock.

The Roos will play two ruckmen this year but will have to make a decision on Coleman-Jones for round 1 as a potential forward given Goldstein and Xerri are ahead of him in the ruck.

Coach David Noble said after the Sydney loss Xerri had continued a strong summer.

“I thought he was terrific. What you saw was the reason we held our ground really hard (in the aborted trade). And he delivered a really terrific performance. Todd worked really well today so it will be a tricky one at match committee. We have CJ who can play forward, We feel one of (Tristan’s) best elements is his second efforts.”

Noble confirmed Jared Polec had done enough over summer to be rewarded by selection against Hawthorn after being demoted from the senior list to rookie status.

He said he was in favour of a single list of 44 — rather than senior and rookie lists — given players now flip flop between the two.

“Most teams tend to manoeuvre their lists around. I had to have that conversation with him, the reasons why. We had to open up another list spot and it doesn’t sit comfortably with players, particularly with the public sentiment.

“I would like to think those lists would change. You just end up with a list.”

Exciting new faces set to be unleashed in Round 1

Hawthorn will consider blooding two first-round debutants against North Melbourne as five of the top 10 players selected in last year’s national draft prepare to hit the ground running next week.

Josh Horne-Francis (North Melbourne), Nick Daicos (Collingwood) and Josh Rachele (Adelaide) are all certainties for Round 1 and they are set to be joined by several more young debutants.

Hawks coach Sam Mitchell refused to declare No. 7 draft pick Josh Ward a certain starter against North Melbourne on Sunday week despite his blinding 29-disposal display against Richmond in the AAMI Series.

But Ward looked totally at home against a star-studded Tigers midfield that included Dustin Martin, Trent Cotchin and Shane Edwards as the Hawks look to restock their own onball unit.

Draftee Josh Ward was Hawthorn’s best player against Richmond. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

The Hawks’ No. 26 draft pick Connor McDonald also showed some flashes of excitement playing as a medium-sized forward and is a chance to debut.

Hawthorn should have Jaeger O’Meara (hamstring) and Tom Mitchell (groin) back from injury but given the club’s determination to introduce youth there is surely room for Ward.

Coach Sam Mitchell said the club had time to make a decision on Ward and McDonald.

“It’s a great question, I am not going to be doing selection today. We will push that headache back another week or so,” he said.

“Connor Mcdonald had 15 or 16 touches, kicked a goal and he looked really dangerous for us. That young group collectively, their ability to learn and absorb information and try to improve themselves (is impressive).

“One we give them something to work on, they are so diligent, and Wardy has been working really hard on his game.

“If he’s there yet, we are not exactly sure, but everything about his game today said he’s ready for AFL football.”

Josh Rachele kicked three goals against the Power. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Kaine Baldwin is pushing for a Round 1 debut. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Rachele, Adelaide’s No. 6 draft pick, again showed polish and goal sense in the Crows’ loss to cross-town rival Port Adelaide and is a certainty to take on Fremantle.

As coach Matthew Nicks said: “We’re not going to hide from the fact at this point in time he’s in our best 22 … Everything going well, we’d love to see him possibly debut early in the season.”

The club’s No. 36 pick Jake Soligo has played both practice games and kicked a nice goal against the Power so must be in contention against the Dockers.

Richmond’s No. 9 draft pick Josh Gibcus is on track to take on a star Carlton forward on Wednesday week after another solid outing in defence.

The 196cm defender played alongside Robbie Tarrant and captain Dylan Grimes in the first-choice Richmond defence and didn’t look out of place. Assistant Adam Kingsley said post-match: “He seems to have taken that position there and is going quite well”.

With Richmond’s 2021 full-back Noah Balta solidifying his spot in the forward line with three goals, Gibcus has locked in a back six spot against a team that will take on Harry McKay and Charlie Curnow in the Thursday night Round 1 clash.

No. 28 pick Tyler Sonsie was Richmond’s best player alongside Sydney Stack in a VFL warm-up game.

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Josh Gibcus could line up against Carlton in a Round 1 blockbuster. Picture: Michael Klein

St Kilda’s summer rookie Jack Hayes is set to hold his spot after another polished performance as a key forward and back-up ruckman as Paddy Ryder slowly works his way back from achilles issues.

At Essendon, both summer rookie Nick Martin and last year’s summer rookie Kaine Baldwin pushed their names for Round 1 debuts against Geelong.

Former WAFL star Martin had 16 second-half disposals and 12 alone in the third term as a clever half-forward against St Kilda but with Jake Stringer returning is no certainty despite his strong claims.

Key forward Baldwin, coming off two knee reconstructions as a junior, again showed his presence and according to assistant coach Blake Caracella played an important team game.

His block that set free teammate Peter Wright was noted by Fox Footy commentator Nick Riewoldt.

“I thought he played really well. He did a lot of things off the ball that probably wouldn’t have been seen on the TV screen, but he’s a young player who has missed a lot of footy and we’re really happy with his progress,” Caracella said.

Originally published as AFL 2022: Which new faces could feature for your club in Round 1