https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/af...s/news-story/9972e5209d31ca3b1fbb9644479c75ca
ADELAIDE CROWS
Veteran Crow
Daniel Talia (knee) is racing the clock to be fit for Round 1 after undergoing post-season surgery, while onballer
Matt Crouch (hip) is another who had surgery in the off-season. The Crows are hopeful both will be fit to play some time in March’s pre-season hit-out, with Talia undergoing sprints on Thursday during a match simulation. Wayne Milera has returned to full training after playing just two matches in 2020. Young gun
Lachie Sholl hurt his finger in an incident in the gym, but it won’t stop him taking part in action over coming weeks.
Tom Doedee (groin) and
Paul Seedsman (hamstring) have minor complaints that shouldn’t rule them out for too long.
BRISBANE LIONS
Brisbane’s medical room is looking very bare as the pre-season continues with youngster
Connor McFadyen one of the few not at full fitness. The midfielder is working back from an ACL injury sustained in July. The good news for Brisbane fans is that
Nakia Cockatoo and
Joe Daniher are ready for pre-season action, with the latter booting four goals in a recent scratch match.
CARLTON
The Blues will be without key forward
Charlie Curnow for most, if not all of 2021, with the tall having further knee surgery in November. Curnow has struggled to get a consistent run on the field after multiple injury setbacks.
Patrick Cripps told foxfooty.com.au on February 3 that he was nearing full fitness after shoulder surgery in the off-season. The star Blue has also added a number of kilograms to his frame after trimming off 12-months ago. Young gun
Brodie Kemp suffered another injury during the pre-season, with a syndesmosis issue to keep him out for a number of months. The 19-year-old was drafted after an ACL injury during his draft year. Defender
Nic Newman is likely to be fit for Round 1 after a season-ending injury last season.
Zac Williams suffered a head knock in the club’s intraclub match on Friday but returned to the field.
COLLINGWOOD
Collingwood star
Taylor Adams is racing the clock to be fit for the season opener against the Western Bulldogs after suffering an injury on Monday. The onballer has strained his hamstring with Adams taking to social media to play down the “small hiccup”. He has suffered a number of injuries in recent years with the Pies unlikely to rush him back.
Jordan De Goey has a mild abdominal strain but is only expected to miss a week or two of full training.
ESSENDON
The Bombers have already had a number of pre-season injury issues, headlined by
Michael Hurley and
Jake Stringer. Hurley was recently discharged from hospital after sustaining an infection in his right leg. The club is unclear on when he can resume training and will wait to see how his infection heals. Stringer had scans on an Achilles injury which has presented soreness over the off-season. He is likely to resume full training in the next fortnight, but remains in doubt as to whether he will take part in the club’s practice matches.
Dyson Heppell (foot) is tracking well as he continues a full training program, while
David Zaharakis (knee) is continuing his strength works after rupturing his PCL late in the season. Defender
Patrick Ambrose’s return from a Lisfranc injury is taking longer than the club would’ve liked, meaning Round 1 selection is looking in doubt. Youngster
Archie Perkins has missed multiple sessions over the summer, while midfielder
Dylan Clarke won’t be available due to an ankle injury.
FREMANTLE
The injury setbacks are continuing at the Dockers with tall
Matt Taberner the latest player to be pulled from the training track. The forward has “quad awareness” and has joined the rehab group. Coach Justin Longmuir confirmed he would miss a number of weeks which will hinder his preparation after a breakout year where he was named in the All-Australian squad of 40. The Dockers expect him to play Round 1.
Darcy Tucker and
Sam Sturt are slowly recovering from niggles, while ruck
Sean Darcy has a knee injury which forced him into a knee brace. Defenders
Alex Pearce and
Joel Hamling are back with the main group after serious injuries in 2020, while
Michael Walters has spent time in the rehab group due to a foot issue.
GEELONG CATS
The major concern for the Cats is the fitness of
Patrick Dangerfield. The star Cat is carrying a groin issue from the Grand Final in October and is yet to take part in full training with the main group. The midfielder has some work to do to return in time for Round 1. Young Cat
Sam Simpson hurt his shoulder in the same clash and was forced to have surgery over the summer, putting early action in doubt.
GOLD COAST SUNS
The real positive for the Suns is young star
Matt Rowell is looking good and appears to be in no doubt for a Round 1 return. The midfielder took the competition by storm during his first five games pushing a case for not only the Rising Star Award, but the Brownlow Medal. His shoulder injury isn’t causing him any main grief, which is a real boost for the up and coming side. Gold Coast’s top pick from 2020,
Elijah Hollands, is still working through his full rehab after his ACL rupture at club training in February last year and the Suns won’t rush him. Tall
Rory Thompson hasn’t been seen since at AFL level since late 2018 and continues to work towards a potential late season return after another knee issue, while
Sam Collins’ loads are increasing after ankle surgery.
GWS GIANTS
Key defender Phil Davis is continuing his rehab back from a knee injury which curtailed the end of his 2020 campaign. However, the big news is around star
Lachie Whitfield. After a training incident last week, Whitfield pulled up sore and has a bruised liver. The Giants say it is on the lower end of the scale in terms of severity, but it is unknown how many weeks he may he out for. Young tall
Kieren Briggs (hip) is one of the other GWS players who have been affected during the pre-season.
HAWTHORN
The Hawks are set to be without a number of talls for the start of the season, including star
Jack Gunston.
Foxfooty.com.au revealed in December a back injury would delay his start to 2021 with a bulging disc causing him discomfort. A typical recovery is four or five months, meaning Round 1 is off the cards for the forward. Defender
James Sicily is still recovery from an ACL injury suffered late last season, while
Jon Patton is taking extended time away from the club to deal with his mental health.
MELBOURNE
The Demons have had a double blow of injury setbacks with tall forwards
Ben Brown and
Sam Weideman both set for layo*** to begin the year. Weideman is expected to be sidelined for the next 10 to 12 weeks after scans revealed a stress fracture in his femur. It follows Brown who had surgery on his left knee to address cartilage damage. The former Kangaroo isn’t expected to be running for at least a month, putting doubt on his Round 1 selection. Defender
Marty Hore (ACL) has undergone surgery after a training injury, while young tall
Harry Petty (groin) has been rehabbing a groin issue over the summer.
NORTH MELBOURNE
North has a relatively clean bill of health minus young forward
Charlie Comben. The 19-year-old will face an extended stint on the sidelines following surgery to repair a tibial stress fracture in his right leg. The Roos won’t be rushing him back, with
Aiden Bonar (calf) also on the sidelines. The former Giant will be going through a month rehabilitation. Rookie
Matt McGuinness is six to eight weeks away from full training after a finger tendon injury.
Ben Cunnington suffered a concussion on Friday and is in doubt for the club’s scratch match with St Kilda on February 25.
PORT ADELAIDE
The Power are flying on the track and expect nearly every player to take part in the club’s internal trial match on Saturday.
Aliir Aliir had jaw surgery in the off-season and has recently return to the main group.
RICHMOND
The Tigers have had one of the smallest injury lists in recent years and that is set to continue into the early stages of 2021, with just a few players in the rehab group.
Ivan Soldo and
Noah Cumberland are both returning from ACL surgery in 2020, with the latter the most likely to make a return at some point during the mid-season. Veteran
Bachar Houli (calf) is still recovering from an injury sustained in the Grand Final, but isn’t far away from progressing to full fitness.
