It is official. The weekends without Fantasy Football have come to an end! Ahead of AFL Round 1, check out the latest injury news from across the league.
The season kicks off Thursday Night as the Premiers, Richmond face off against old rivals Carlton at the MCG which means time is running out to get your SuperCoach and AFL Fantasy teams together.
Hopefully the injury summary below is some assistance to you!
*Injury list sourced from AFL.com
Adelaide
| Brad Crouch | Abdominal strain | Test |
| Riley Knight | Ankle | TBC |
| Brodie Smith | Knee | Season |
| Taylor Walker | Foot | Test |
A short list but plenty of quality on it. There is no doubt they’ll miss Smith in 2018.
Walker has been in a moon boot throughout preseason with a foot injury. Even if he plays in Round 1 he looks a fantasy red flag. Those type injuries tend to linger.
Crouch is expected to be good to go for Round 1.
Brisbane
| Marco Paparone | Back | 3-4 weeks |
| Sam Skinner | Knee | 12 weeks |
Not much to see here from a fantasy perspective.
Carlton
| Sam Docherty | Knee | Season |
| Jarrod Garlett | Shoulder | Test |
| Matthew Kreuzer | Ankle | Test |
| Darcy Lang | Ankle | Test |
| Jarrod Pickett | Wrist | 12 weeks |
| Sam Rowe | Knee | 1-2 weeks |
| Tom Williamson | Back | Test |
Docherty is a huge loss as is Gibbs (Adelaide). Kruezer had arguably his best season as a Blue last year and is deservedly on the fantasy radar this year.
Kruezer rolled his ankle in the preseason game against the Hawks and will face a test to be fit for Thursday night. From what we can gather it is more likely he plays than not.
Collingwood
| James Aish | Calf | TBC |
| Jordan De Goey | Hamstring/club suspension | Indefinite |
| Jamie Elliott | Ankle | 1-2 weeks |
| Alex Fasolo | Shoulder | Test |
| Tyson Goldsack | Knee | Season |
| Levi Greenwood | Knee | TBC |
| Adam Oxley | Shoulder | 2 weeks |
| Daniel Wells | Achilles | 1-2 weeks |
Daniel Wells such a crucial player for the Pies and he is again injured. Must be a SuperCoach pass.
Fasolo is another ‘barometer’ who could miss Round 1 along with Jamie Elliott.
Yikes Pies fans, games against Adelaide and GWS in your first five. Must win the winnable ones!
Essendon
| Travis Colyer | Foot | 7 weeks |
| Orazio Fantasia | Knee | 1 week |
| Marty Gleeson | Ankle | 12 weeks |
| Jayden Laverde | Hamstring | 4 weeks |
| Kobe Mutch | Knee | Test |
There isn’t too much to worry about for the Bombers. Fantasia wasn’t on our SC or DT radar but should only miss one or two.
Colyer’s pace is a weapon they’ll miss – keep an eye on his return throughout the year.
With Orazio Fantasia injured and missing round 1 it opens the door for rookie Matt Guelfi. Averaged the 85Sc points in the WAFL 2017 season. Mature-aged, physically ready for AFL. 117k FWD smoky.
— Supercoach Black Book. (@SupercoachLBB) March 8, 2018
Fremantle
| Michael Apeness | Adductor | 1 week |
| Harley Bennell | Calf | TBC |
| Brady Grey | Quad | Test |
| Bradley Hill | Quad | Test |
| Stephen Hill | Calf | 1-2 weeks |
| Griffin Logue | Foot | Test |
Bennell and Hill x 2 are all important players to the Dockers.
Stephen was of the most SC and DT interest but given he could be out until Round 3 must be passed for now.
Geelong
| Gary Ablett | Hamstring | Test |
| Nakia Cockatoo | Calf | Test |
| Stewart Crameri | Hip | Test |
| Patrick Dangerfield | Hamstring | Test |
| Cory Gregson | Abdominal strain | Test |
| Lachie Henderson | Knee | 3-4 weeks |
| Lincoln McCarthy | Quad | TBC |
| Quinton Narkle | Knee | TBC |
| Scott Selwood | Ankle | 3-4 weeks |
Some genuine injury concerns down at the Cattery.
Dangerfield looks unlikely for Round 1 while other ‘starters’ Scott Selwood and Henderson could be a month away.
GaJ faces a Test as does Cockatoo and Crameri.
With all that going on, does Captain Joel’s fantasy value increase?
Gold Coast
| Callum Ah Chee | Hamstring | Test |
| Aaron Hall | Finger | 1-2 weeks |
| Pearce Hanley | Shoulder | 4-6 weeks |
| Sean Lemmens | Hamstring | TBC |
| Jack Martin | Hamstring | Test |
| Harrison Wigg | Ankle | TBC |
| Peter Wright | Calf | TBC |
The Suns are tipped to struggle in 2018 and having the likes of Hanley, Hall, Ah Chee and Two-Meter Peter on the injury list won’t make their task much easier.
Steering clear of the Suns in terms of fantasy apart from rookies.
Greater Western Sydney
| Matt Buntine | Knee | 4-5 weeks |
| Brent Daniels | Knee | 2-3 weeks |
| Ryan Griffen | Ankle | 1-2 weeks |
| Jacob Hopper | Groin | Test |
| Adam Kennedy | Knee | 2-3 weeks |
| Tom Scully | Knee | Test |
| Will Setterfield | Knee | Season |
| Zac Williams | Achilles | Indefinite |
The Giants battled a bit injury list for the majority of 2017 so the list of quality players above is certainly a concern.
Scully is in his prime now and if fit should be a fantasy target.
Hawthorn
| Grant Birchall | PCL | 12-14 weeks |
| Jonathan Ceglar | Back | 4 weeks |
| Will Langford | Hand | 3-4 weeks |
| Tim O’Brien | Hamstring | Available |
| Jonathan O’Rourke | Hamstring | 2 weeks |
| Cyril Rioli | Managed | Test |
| Liam Shiels | Hamstring | Available |
Birchall’s experience will be missed but other than that it’s not looking too bad for the Hawks.
Langford is a fringe player this year we want to avoid in terms of fantasy while Cyril also comes with some risks as they’ll no doubt try and ‘nurse’ him through.
RELATED: AFL draw analysis, the early rounds.
Melbourne
| Jordan Lewis | Calf | Available |
| Tom McDonald | Toe | Test |
| Pat McKenna | Hamstring | Indefinite |
| Alex Neal-Bullen | Quads | Available |
| Clayton Oliver | Knee | Test |
| Aaron vandenBerg | Ankle | Indefinite |
| Jack Viney | Foot | 1-2 weeks |
Clayton Oliver was a player we had circled in both forms so we’ll continue to monitor the status of his knee concern.
Alex Neal-Bullen is another we’ve shortlisted so it’s great to see the status of his quad moved to ‘available’.
Viney’s foot injury looks a worry. He hasn’t had many kilometers in the legs and should be avoided for now.
North Melbourne
| Jed Anderson | Thumb | Test |
| Kyron Hayden | Shoulder | 7 weeks |
| Declan Mountford | Shoulder | TBC |
| Robbie Tarrant | Kidney | Test |
| Declan Watson | Knee | 12-16 weeks |
| Sam Wright | Ankle/foot | Test |
Expect plenty of young players to roll through this Kangaroo squad this year.
We’ll be focusing on those types and steering clear of the veterans who are priced at a premium and whose spots may come under pressure throughout the year as the youth movement gains momentum.
Port Adelaide
| Travis Boak | Hamstring | Test | |
| Matthew Broadbent | Ankle | 4-6 weeks | |
| Sam Powell-Pepper | Shoulder | Test | |
| Jasper Pittard | Hamstring | 3-4 weeks |
The Power have talent but they’ll desperately want Travis Boak’s leadership and calm head as they enter Season 2018 with expectations very high.
Powell-Pepper we aren’t as high on as Kane Cornes is and are avoiding in all forms of fantasy.
Richmond
| Nathan Drummond | Knee | 1-2 weeks |
| Ben Griffiths | Retired | |
| Shaun Hampson | Back | TBC |
| Bachar Houli | Calf | Test |
| Dion Prestia | Ankle | Test |
| Daniel Rioli | Foot | TBC |
The Tigers were famously healthy last year but do have three Premiership players facing a health battle ahead of Round 1.
Daniel Rioli will almost certainly miss paving the way for Shai Bolton (most likely).
Bachar Houli had most of a preseason under his belt before an injury in the JLT, looks a 50-50 proposition.
Prestia had ankle surgery in December and then injured his hamstring which saw him miss both JLT matches.
Physical Performance Manager Peter Burge provides an update on the injury status of Dion Prestia, Bachar Houli, Shaun Hampson, Daniel Rioli and Nathan Drummond – https://t.co/8XCchuTKgK pic.twitter.com/hSztRLw86D
— Richmond FC 🐯 (@Richmond_FC) March 16, 2018
St Kilda
| Nathan Freeman | Hamstring | 4 weeks |
| Ben Paton | Thumb | 4 weeks |
| Billy Longer | Hip | Test |
| Darren Minchington | Knee | 5 weeks |
| Jack Steven | Ankle | Test |
Jack Steven insists he’ll be good to go for Round 1 which is good because the Saints do need him.
Longer is an important player also that is hard to value fantasy wise. It’s not a good sign though that a player with injury history has a niggle going into Round 1.
Sydney
| Aliir Aliir | Ankle | Test |
| Dan Hannebery | Calf | Test |
| Alex Johnson | Groin/hip | 2-3 weeks |
| Jarrad McVeigh | Calf | Test |
| Sam Naismith | Knee | Season |
| Callum Sinclair | Ankle | Test |
| Kurt Tippett | Retired |
The Swans again have some challengers entering the season after famously starting slow in 2017 before flying home.
Naismith is a big loss making the Test Sinclair will face even more important.
Hannebery has had an interrupted preseason and we are steering clear for now with a view to target him throughout the year.
West Coast
| Brendon Ah Chee | Ankle | TBC |
| Oscar Allen | Leg | TBC |
| Jarrod Brander | Ankle | Test |
| Josh Kennedy | Ankle | 2 weeks |
| Eric Mackenzie | Toe | TBC |
| Nic Naitanui | Knee | Test |
| Jack Petruccelle | Finger | 1-2 weeks |
| Willie Rioli | Ankle | Test |
| Nathan Vardy | Groin | 3-4 weeks |
Josh Kennedy will likely miss two. Hard to see him travelling to Melbourne for Round 2 at Docklands, much more likely they set him for Round 3 against Geelong at Patersons.
NicNat is back playing footy which is great but it’s hard to know how long it will take for him to get back into full swing. He is a wait and see proposition on the SuperCoach front.
Western Bulldogs
| Marcus Adams | Ankle | 10-12 weeks |
| Dale Morris | Knee | 10-12 weeks |
| Liam Picken | Concussion | Test |
| Jack Redpath | Suspended | Round two |
| Jordan Roughead | Groin/hip | Test |
Five experienced players on the injury list isn’t ideal for the Dogs who are aiming to get back into the finals this year after a disappointing 2017.
Jack Macrae and The Bont are the two we’ve got our eye on from a fantasy perspective.
“The sky is the limit” for star @westernbulldogs midfielder Marcus Bontempelli. https://t.co/vrCVjrQzYx
— AFL.com.au (@AFLcomau) March 16, 2018
Good luck to everyone in the late fantasy scramble leading into AFL Round 1.
Feel free to share your thoughts and ask us your Fantasy Footy questions on Twitter! @fantasystarsau
