Monday and Tuesday’s injury reports have dropped with important updates on Colby McKercher, Jarrod Witts, Zach Reid, Darcy Parish, Josh Kelly, Matt Crouch and more.
UPDATES
Colby McKercher will miss again in Round 13 due to bone stress, although North Melbourne are hopeful he’s not too far away from a return.
North Melbourne head of performance Kevin White said: “Colby has had an extended off-load period to ensure healing of that metatarsal bone stress. He completed his first AlterG [treadmill] run on Tuesday pain-free, with the next steps this week being a move to running sessions on ground.
“If he completes that this week without awareness in that spot, then we will have a clear return to play timeline mapped out from next week, where we can progress his on-field training towards a return to play.”
The Kangas also revealed Jy Simpkin is available for their clash with West Coast after a quad issue.
Gold Coast revealed ruckman Jarrod Witts will also miss again due to a hamstring injury, with a view to returning after their Round 14 bye.
Suns head physiotherapist Lindsay Bull said: “Jarrod will be unavailable this weekend with a low-grade hamstring strain, but we expect him to be available in Round 15 following the bye.”
Essendon’s Zach Reid is unlikely to return in 2024 following a torn pectoral muscle suffered in the VFL. Essendon’s GM – AFL Daniel McPherson said: “’Reidy’ has done a mountain of work to get back to playing after an early season hamstring injury. It’s devastating that he now faces another extended period on the sidelines after building a strong block of form in the VFL, which had him on the verge of an AFL recall.”
Gun Bombers mid Darcy Parish is now listed as 5-6 weeks away following a calf injury setback.
McPherson said: “It’s disappointing for Darcy, as he was just at the start of a conservative reintroduction to running when he felt some discomfort. It will add a couple of weeks to his original return-to-play timeline.”
Mason Redman will miss Essendon’s upcoming clash with Carlton due to a “minor hamstring strain” while rookie Nate Caddy is available after overcoming illness.
Adelaide confirmed midfielder Matt Crouch’s season is over due to an AC joint injury. Crows high performance manager Darren Burgess said: “Unfortunately, Crouchy injured his AC joint in a collision which means he needs surgery. “He’s been really consistent for us so it’s really disappointing for him and the team, but Crouchy has overcome some hurdles to play that consistent footy and I’m sure he’ll be back for us.”
Hawthorn have listed ruckman Lloyd Meek as a “test” due to an ankle issue. Hawthorn High Performance Manager Peter Burge said: “He’s progressing slowly. He’s had a couple of runs on the AlterG treadmill but we haven’t progressed to running outside. We’re going to assess that later in the week. We’d need to see a significant improvement by the end of the week for him to be available but we’ll have more information later in the week.”
The Western Bulldogs revealed Tom Liberatore and Ed Richards need to get through main training on Wednesday to be declared available after concussions. James Harmes will miss 3-4 weeks due to a low-grade hamstring injury.
Callum Mills is back in modified team training after his long-term shoulder and calf injuries, but Sydney they expect him to require a few weeks of team training.
Richmond have several key players returning which may impact Kane McAuliffe, with Tim Taranto available after a wrist fracture, while Shai Bolton and Dion Prestia are back in contention. The Tigers have confirmed Dustin Martin will be managed this weekend ahead of his 300th.
Geelong Assistant GM of Football Brett Johnson said Patrick Dangerfield (hamstring) will need to pass a test this week to return, while Cameron Guthrie (Achilles) remains a week away.
Carlton ruckman Marc Pittonet is also listed as a “test” following his finger injury, which may impact Tom De Koning’s role.
West Coast have confirmed Tim Kelly (hip) will miss another game which will impact their midfield mix with Harley Reid’s two-game ban upheld at the AFL Tribunal. Jake Waterman (shoulder) is a test to return up forward.
GWS have declared Josh Kelly is “progressing well” after his calf injury and is on track to return in Round 14.
