Pre-season is always a tricky period. Players are eager to prove themselves, and the intensity in training is higher than it will be at any other time of the year.
It’s also the time when injuries are most likely to occur due to the increase in loads and the introduction of match play. It’s a careful juggling act that can determine whether a team’s season is derailed before it even begins.
Injured AFL players George Wardlaw (North Melbourne), Adam Treloar (Western Bulldogs) and Charlie Curnow (Carlton).Credit: Photos: Getty Images. Artwork: Stephen Kiprillis
But it’s only February – you can’t win a flag in February – so how much of an impact will these injuries have on the season proper?
We’ve divided the 18 clubs up into categories to assess who is in the most trouble and who is full steam ahead.
In the emergency room
The clubs who have the most to worry about this pre-season.
The most concerning issue for the Bulldogs now is the ongoing soft-tissue strains. Adam Treloar, who suffered a recurrence of a calf strain this month after the initial injury occurred before Christmas, faces a crucial recovery period.
Research conducted by Dr Brady Green and his colleagues in 2019 on calf strains in AFL found that recurring injuries are more common in older athletes, particularly within two months of the initial injury. Early muscle re-injuries may occur because of incomplete tissue healing and persistent structural changes, including scar tissue, despite the resolution of clinical signs (e.g. range of motion, strength) and symptoms (e.g. pain, apprehension). At 31, Treloar is facing a crucial recovery period. Aaron Naughton’s pre-Christmas calf injury also remains a concern; he’s not completely out of the woods yet.
As for Jason Johannisen, who has a history of soft-tissue injuries, the need for minor surgery on his hamstring suggests possible tendon involvement. Tendon repairs take longer to heal due to the specific type of collagen the body produces for those tissues, meaning Johannisen’s recovery could take more time than initially anticipated. This will also need to be a conservative rehabilitation due to his injury history.
Over the weekend, the Dogs faced yet another soft tissue setback, with Liam Jones suffering a high-grade hamstring strain during match simulation. He is expected to be on the sidelines for up to two months – not what the Bulldogs needed. A cluster of soft tissue injuries like this will be looked at.
Adam Treloar has suffered a serious calf injury.Credit: Getty Images
With All-Australian Treloar likely sidelined for the first month of the season, coach Luke Beveridge will have to adjust his midfield mix, particularly with the club also missing traded premiership stars Jack Macrae and Caleb Daniel. Recruit Matt Kennedy is expected to step in, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Ryley Sanders a consistent starter. Ed Richards could also see more midfield minutes.
With Johannisen out, Bailey Dale will likely take on the bulk of the rebound work from half-back, though this could make it easier for opposition teams to limit their dangerous transition game. And Jones’ extended absence will no doubt put more pressure on the Dogs’ back six.
Missing significant chunks of pre-season training doesn’t do much for a player’s confidence and could leave them playing catch-up throughout the year.
However, the advantage with these experienced athletes is that they’ve got years of pre-seasons under their belts, and that accumulated experience can help them manage these situations better.
The Saints’ main concern right now is their bone-stress injuries. Though there are only two cases – Rowan Marshall and Mattaes Phillipou – it raises questions about training loads at Moorabbin.
Bone-stress injuries are tricky and often take longer to recover from compared to soft-tissue injuries. With bone stress, the affected area needs complete rest from impact, whereas soft-tissue injuries can allow for lower intensity activity. That means a fair bit of the player’s fitness is lost.
With the potential loss of Marshall for round one, coach Ross Lyon’s ruck stocks are especially thin, given back-up ruckmen Tom Campbell and Jack Hayes departed at the end of last season. Arguably St Kilda’s most important player, Marshall’s ability to give his midfield first use and his influence going forward are hard to replace.
The Saints will be counting on Max King to step up as a forward, while Lyon will just be hoping Harry Boyd, a recent SANFL recruit, can at least hold his own in the middle of the ground if called upon.
Rowan Marshall is a crucial piece of the Saints’ line-up.Credit: Getty Images
Another concern for the Saints is their defensive line. With the loss of Josh Battle to the Hawks via free agency in the off-season, Dougal Howard’s shoulder injury hurts. It was a dislocation requiring surgery, so there’s a possibility the cartilage that lines the joint may need repairing, or the ligaments tightened around the joint to prevent future dislocations.
Losing key backs is always tough, but it’s especially challenging for a coach such as Lyon, whose game plan revolves heavily around defence. In Howard’s absence, Zaine Cordy and Tasmanian Arie Schoenmaker will need to step up during the early months of the season. Don’t be surprised to see Anthony Caminiti in the back line, either.
In 2024, at least 12 Carlton players missed four or more games, including key figures such as Adam Cerra, Mitch McGovern, Adam Saad, Sam Docherty, Jesse Motlop, Zac Williams, and Jordan Boyd. Between May and August last year, the Blues had up to eight players managing soft-tissue injuries.
This sets up a significant challenge for Carlton’s new head of high performance, Rob Inness, to reduce the injury toll moving forward. The Blues scraped into finals last year, but surely could not handle the same number of injuries and hope to make it to September in 2025.
Adam Cerra was one of the Blues who suffered a hamstring injury last season.Credit: Getty Images
They’ve already lost a star player to a hamstring injury this year. Sam Walsh’s issue may be minor, but medical staff will be wary of the high hamstring reoccurrence rate, specifically with his long injury history.
Soft-tissue injuries aside, there have been plenty of other concerns for the club. Nic Newman suffered a ruptured patella tendon, which is a major blow – it’s a serious injury, and it’s highly unlikely he’ll return this season. Coach Michael Voss may need to consider moving Docherty or Ollie Hollands into a more prominent role in the back line to cover the loss. Docherty’s shift to half-back could be beneficial in terms of managing his body more effectively in the long term.
Meanwhile, Alex Cincotta can expect a long recovery from hip surgery in December. He’ll need a slow, careful build-up to get his hip back to full strength, though recovery rates after this type of surgery are generally positive.
We saw what happened when injury hit them hard in 2024. With the carry-over from that hanging over their heads, keeping healthy will be crucial in season 2025.
Essendon have been hit hard with back-to-back hamstring injuries, sidelining Jordan Ridley and Matt Guelfi for different lengths of time. Ridley, arguably the club’s most vital player, plays a key role in their transition game, making his absence especially impactful.
This is Guelfi’s second hamstring issue this pre-season, having already suffered a smaller strain before Christmas. The situation is even more concerning as the club revealed he’d spent part of his off-season visiting soft-tissue specialists in the US.
Alwyn Davey jnr’s knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus only adds to the mounting list of injuries. With two pressure forwards out of the Essendon forward line, coach Brad Scott now faces a significant gap in his attacking depth.
Jordan Ridley is important to the Bombers’ set-up.Credit: AFL Photos
The importance of getting both Ridley and Ben McKay up to full fitness is clear – particularly given Essendon’s recent struggles with defensive stability and conceding high scores.
Their return will be crucial in shoring up the back half of the team.
On the mend
The clubs on the way to full health.
Brisbane Lions
Several players are still recovering from injuries sustained in 2024. These include Keidean Coleman, Tom Doedee, Darcy Gardiner and Lincoln McCarthy, who are all rehabbing from ACL surgeries. Oscar McInerney is recovering from shoulder reconstruction, while Lachie Neale is one to monitor while he continues to build strength into his troublesome plantar fascia.
Will Day’s season ended early last year due to injury.Credit: AFL Photos
Hawthorn
Several players are carrying over recovery from 2024, including Will Day, who had post-season surgery on a complex collarbone issue and is pleasingly back to full health. James Sicily had a shoulder reconstruction at the end of last season and a bone-stress injury in his foot ended Sam Frost’s 2024 campaign early, but they should all be available for round one. Mitch Lewis and James Blanck, who suffered ACL injuries last year, will travel to the US to rehab with internationally renowned reconditioning guru Bill Knowles.
Melbourne
Max Gawn is cleared to return after a larynx injury late last year, having spent the last six weeks in non-contact training. Jake Lever, who underwent shoulder and knee surgeries in the off-season, is now back in full training. Christian Petracca is nearly at full fitness after recovering from a rib fracture. The only blips in the Dees’ 2025 pre-season are Koltyn Tholstrup and Jake Melksham, dealing with a bone-stress injury and a hamstring strain respectively. Without new injuries it looks like Melbourne will have a healthy list to select from for round one.
North Melbourne
Aside from George Wardlaw, who sustained a nasty hamstring strain last week, Callum Coleman-Jones is recovering from an Achilles injury, Brayden George is rehabbing from an ACL tear, and young Will Dawson is recovering from shoulder surgery.
Port Adelaide
Willem Drew had minor plantar fascia surgery in December and is expected to be ready for round one. Sam Powell-Pepper is recovering from an ACL injury sustained in 2024. The exception is Todd Marshall, who was dealt with an early pre-season blow, rupturing his Achilles.
Richmond
The Tigers have several players recovering from ACL injuries, with Judson Clarke the closest to a return, followed by Josh Gibcus, Mykelti Lefau and Tylar Young. Additionally, Josh Smillie is dealing with a hamstring issue, but it’s the only acute injury concern.
Fremantle
Ruckman Sean Darcy has returned from two weeks in Qatar as he works to recover from a lingering knee issue. Darcy may be managed at times this year to reduce load through his knees and ensure they are in the best shape possible come the end of the year. Nat Fyfe and Michael Walters had similar knee surgery over the break and will both be very likely to play round one – or in the early rounds.
Collingwood
Despite dealing with a troublesome plantar fascia issue, Nick Daicos has been progressing well, managing a significant amount of load. He should be available for round one. This is a promising sign for an injury of this nature, and fans can remain optimistic about his availability. Tom Mitchell is recovering from a bone stress injury after dealing with persistent foot problems last year. There are concerns around Jordan De Goey, who is managing a lingering groin issue and recent bone bruising to his knee. However, with a month to go before the season starts, there’s still time for him to recover. The 28-year-old kicked off his pre-season with a 10-day training stint in Doha, where he visited the renowned Aspetar sports medicine facility to treat the groin and abdominal issues that limited him to 13 games last year and hindered his explosive form.
Clean bill of health
The clubs with no major concerns.
- Sydney
- Adelaide
- Geelong
- Gold Coast
- GWS
And then there is West Coast who did have a clean bill of health, but two cases of bad luck have blotted their record. Elliot Yeo sustained a contact injury in a tackle in late January, causing MCL and syndesmosis injuries with the club hopeful he will be available in the early part of the season. Dom Sheed ruptured his ACL in an “innocuous” training incident this week, potentially ending his season.
Libby Birch is a triple premiership AFLW player and a trained physiotherapist.
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