So, it’s that time of the year – we start to look at what teams will look like in their first game of the season, and the last couple of weeks, teams have started to look a little bit… compromised.
Here’s your “at a glance” injury list for each club.
Oh, and before you jump up and down, I have restricted this to players who are likely best-23 contributors, or those knocking on the door. I haven’t got all day, y’know?
ADELAIDE
Mark Keane – suffered a horrible leg fracture in a match sim just a week ago. Will miss significant time. Probably looking at the back half of the season for his return. Only upside is that the Crows bat very deep when it comes to key position defenders, at the moment.
Sid Draper – experiencing ongoing groin issues… like that time I came back from Thailand. Will be assessed ongoing.
Daniel Curtin – dislocated his kneecap in a wrestling drill. Will miss two months. Personally, I blame Gunther.
Izak Rankine – still has a game of his suspension to serve for saying nasty things.
BRISBANE
Sam Draper – suffering stress fractures in his foot. We won’t see him for roughly the first month of the season. Darcy Fort… the club looks to you again.
Eric Hipwood – recovering from his ACL injury last season. Will likely be eyeing a return in the second half of the year.
Lincoln McCarthy – working hard after his ACL injury, but likely to miss the first couple of months of footy.
Tom Doedee – the forgotten man of the AFL has a wrist injury, but should be pushing for selection early on
Noah Answerth – the man who could fill the void left by Brandon Starcevich is battling to be fit after an Achilles injury last year
CARLTON
Jesse Motlop – ACL injury in the pre-season. That’s a shocker – whole season is done.
Blake Acres – recovering from shoulder surgery. Pushing for a Round One start.
Brodie Kemp – working back from his Achilles injury. Will play a vital role across half-forward for the Blues
Nic Newman – had that patella injury in 2025, and is working back to full fitness. Should be held back until they are absolutely sure he is ready to go 100%.
COLLINGWOOD
Bobby Hill – personal issues, with the Pies stating the planning for 2026 does not include him. Ouch…
Darcy Moore – taking a while to get over a calf strain/tear. Touch and go for Round Zero
Jeremy Howe – had a calf injury the same time as Moore, but is recovering better
Reef McInnes – working back from his 2025 ACL injury. Could be a vital piece to the 2026 Pies defence if he can get right.
Dan McStay – suffered a hamstring injury. Hopefully good to go for the AAMI Series match
Beau McCreery – underwent foot surgery in November and will likely miss all pre-season games. Touch and go for Round Zero.
ESSENDON
Nic Martin – further surgery on his damaged ACL from 2025. That’s the season from him.
Nick Bryan – did his ACL in Gather Round last year, and is expected back after the first month of footy. The Bombers desperately need him fit, given their depleted ruck stocks.
Jordan Ridley – modified program after another soft-tissue injury in the pre-season. Teh Bombers are nursing him through to get him ready for the season, and wisely so.
FREMANTLE
Sean Darcy – continuing his run of injury after injury, Darcy strained a calf during match sims. Should be right for Round One, but far out… if anyone needed an uninterrupted run at the season, it was him.
Luke Ryan – had a shoulder clean up in the off-season and is just now commencing contact drills. I always thought that a supremely fit Ryan would become the best intercept defender in the league.
Sam Sturt – on the road back from his ACL and expected to push for selection by mid-season.
GEELONG
Jeremy Cameron – not playing in the State of Origin game as he continues to rehab his broken arm. Probably a good call.
Toby Conway – the big fella is working back from knee and foot injuries, and will likely need a fair bit of work into him before cracking the A-Team.
Tyson Stengle – took some time away from the club with personal issues, but is back with the group, though will need to catch up on some conditioning work.
GOLD COAST
Charlie Ballard – working back from his ACL injury, and should be back in the early part of the 2026 season
The smallest pre-season injury list in the league. Ominous…
GWS
Josh Kelly – had an operation on his hip that was expected to keep him out for the whole season, but Kelly is determined to get back this year. Will be a very late run at it, if he does.
Darcy Jones – working his way back from an ACL injury, but we likely won’t see him until deep into the season
Clayton Oliver – had a bit of a calf issue, but Adam Kingsley described it as “no big deal”. You seen that bloke? I am not gonna argue with him!
HAWTHORN
James Sicily – still not doing contact drills or match sims, as he recovers from shoulder surgery. I’d keep him out until he is 100% ready to go – having the 2025 version out there doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.
Will Day – death, taxes, and Will Day getting hurt. A dislocated shoulder will see him miss the first half of the season
Finn Maginness – has returned to full-contact training after his kidney injury. Good news, as his defensive work will be required in a reworked midfield this season.
MELBOURNE
Jake Bowey – will miss close to the first half of the season with a foot injury.
Shane McAdam – working back from a torn Achilles tendon. Given his recent injury history, you’d be a fool to put a timeline on him.
Jack Viney – going in for surgery on his Achilles. A terrible result at this stage, with the former captain set to miss months of footy. That said, it also opens the door for young mids to have a real crack at becoming the go-to player in the guts.
Andy Moniz-Wakefield – I like this kid. He is close to full fitness after copping a dreaded ACL after only a handful of games. Hopefully back in the team early in the year.
NORTH MELBOURNE
George Wardlaw – like Will Day, he is an injury-magnet. At least this time, his hamstring injury is at the low end, and is only expected to see him miss a couple of weeks of training. A long shot for the AAMI Series game, but should be good for Round One.
Jackson Archer – after being screwed over by the MRO in 025, he’s been screwed over by an ACL injury in 2026. That’s the season done for Jackson, unfortunately
Paul Curtis – recovering from a pneumonia-induced condition called empyema. Was on a modified program, but working toward a Round One appearance, hopefully. Could be an AA if fit.
PORT ADELAIDE
Ivan Soldo – has done his ACL, so that means Port’s SANFL team is down a player.
Sam Powell-Pepper – working back from his ACL, after having to undergo a second procedure to relive some discomfort.
Todd Marshall – all good news, so far, as Todd works into form across half-back for Port. Fingers crossed he gets a decent run at it.
RICHMOND
Josh Smillie – still a little bit away as he is yet to join the main drills. He missed all of last year with conditioning and hamstring issues. Don’t expect him to be there for Round One.
Nick Vlastuin – this makes me sad. I wanted him to have a massive year, but he’ll be playing catch-up after a late season ankle injury required surgery, and he has started to feel a few niggles as he works towards getting back. Said he is”day-to-day” when asked whether he will be ready for Round One.
Judson Clark – on the road back after his ACL injury last year.
Hugo Ralphsmith – injured a hammy in December and has been working his way back to fitness after recovery
Josh Gibcus – ready for this, Tiger fans? NO ISSUES TO REPORT! Go get ‘em, kid!
ST KILDA
Max King – he is the only real concern at the moment, having an additional cleanup of his knee in December after missing the entire 2025 season. Aaaand then he sustained a calf strain as he started to get back into shape. Cannot buy a break.
SYDNEY
Logan McDonald – missed all of 2025 with an ankle injury, and will have to fight for his place in the side, with the Swans housing a plethora of tall forward options.
Callum Mills – tore a hamstring prior to Christmas, but is back in full training and looked great in their intraclub scrimmage. A fit Mills means so much to the Swans… they’ve probably forgotten how important he can be, given how long he has been out, or hampered by injury.
WEST COAST
Brady Hough – will miss the practice games and AAMI series, after spraining an ankle at the end of January. A chance for Round One.
Brandon Starcevich – Had an ACL strain, which sent shockwaves through the club before he’d played a game. Not back in full training yet.
Tylar Young – also not back in full training after a shoulder injury. That defence is looking very shaky unless they can get him, and the two above, ready quickly.
Elliot Yeo – back in full training after a horror 2025. Vitally important to the West Cost midfield, he got through their intraclub unscathed last week.
WESTERN BULLDOGS
Cody Weightman – getting there… slowly. People don’t understand the extent of his injury. Basically, a pre-existing condition caused his kneecap to split.
Ryley Sanders – has strained both hamstrings this pre-season, so the setback will likely see him having to do some extra work before cracking the senior team.
Riley Garcia – another young player… another hammy. Sadly, this isa serious one, with 10-12 weeks on the sidelines the prognosis.
James Harmes – taking time away from the club for personal reasons.
As always, massive thanks to those who support this work. You can see the amount of care that goes into it. I love footy, I love writing about it, and I hope you enjoy reading it. Without you, this whole thing falls over. Sincerely… thank you – HB
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