Afl Injury List: Who’s Injured and Who’s Available

All 18 clubs posted fresh notes ahead of Round 1 as Thilthorpe is expected to resume full training after managing back soreness while Adam Saad will miss the next fortnight for Carlton; the afl injury list shows a patchwork of recoveries and selection questions across the competition. The updates reveal immediate selection shifts and longer timelines, from Sam Draper appearing certain to debut for the Lions to Nick Haynes returning to full training but heading through the reserves.

Afl Injury List: Carlton Blues

Carlton confirmed Adam Saad will be unavailable for the next fortnight, while Nick Haynes has trained fully and will play in the VFL practice match on Thursday as he makes his comeback through the reserves. The afl injury list also notes that Blake Acres (shoulder), Lachie Cowan (calf) and Matt Carroll (hamstring) all made it through a VFL practice match last weekend, and that Cerra, Cottrell and Evans will not be considered until after the Round 2 bye at the earliest. The pattern suggests Carlton will call on depth players such as Jordan Boyd, Hudson O’Keeffe, Flynn Young, Wade Derksen and Talor Byrne to cover the early unavailability of senior names.

Brisbane Lions and Sam Draper

Brisbane faces selection juggling ahead of Saturday night’s match against Sydney at the SCG, with All-Australians Andrews, McCluggage and Bailey plus lockdown defender Gardiner missing from the team that lost to the Western Bulldogs. Sam Draper appears certain to play his first game for the Lions, shifting Zane Zakostelsky from the back-up ruck to a key defensive role, and Darragh Joyce is set to bolster the back six. The figures point to a reshuffle: Lincoln McCarthy could play his first game in almost two years and Dan Annable, a top-10 draft pick, is in line for a debut to cover the absence of McCluggage.

Geelong and James Worpel

Geelong recruit James Worpel is set to miss Round 1 after a finger infection and is expected to be available for the Round 3 clash against Adelaide following the Cats’ bye. Other Victorian concerns include Dockers forward Michael Frederick, who will miss at least the next four weeks with an ankle injury, and Brennan Cox, who needs another week to overcome a calf issue. The detail that Worpel was quietly added to Geelong’s injury list almost 24 hours after the initial list was released suggests clubs are still finalizing late updates ahead of selection deadlines.

For now, the next confirmed fixture is Saturday night’s match between Brisbane and Sydney at the SCG; if Sam Draper takes the field as expected, the data suggests Zane Zakostelsky will move into a defensive role and that Brisbane’s back six will look markedly different to the lineup that faced the Western Bulldogs.