FOLLOWING a weekend of injury carnage, Port Adelaide is likely to be without two of their best players when they face a resurgent Greater Western Sydney in a crunch clash at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.
Star ruckman Patrick Ryder injured a hip flexor in the second quarter of Sunday's upset defeat, while three-time All Australian team member Robbie Gray was left concussed after a heavy tackle from Ryan Nyhuis in the third term.
Robbie Gray has been stretchered off the field after this tackle from Ryan Nyhuis. #AFLFreoPower pic.twitter.com/2kZiDPvo84
— AFL (@AFL) July 15, 2018
Sydney looks set to lose another experienced member of its side, with captain Josh Kennedy hurting his back in the win over North Melbourne.
Sydney's skipper Josh Kennedy is having some issues with his back.
— AFL (@AFL) July 15, 2018
Injury update thanks to MLC.#AFLNorthSwans pic.twitter.com/YF1qvpHS4n
Kennedy left the ground early in the second quarter and was assisted down to the rooms and spent the rest of the game on the bench.
West Coast's premiership aspirations received a massive blow, with superstar Nic Naitanui likely to miss the remainder of the year after suffering a serious knee injury in the win over Collingwood.
Naitanui limped from the field after an innocuous ruck contest in the second term.
Nic Naitanui has suffered a knee injury and will not return today.#AFLPiesEagles pic.twitter.com/A0Z30A2KEy
— AFL (@AFL) July 15, 2018
Naitanui, who missed all of the 2017 season after rupturing the ACL in his left knee in round 22, 2016, will have scans on his right knee early in the week.
North Melbourne will be hoping Ben Jacobs and Kayne Turner make it to the line to face Collingwood on Saturday.
Jacobs was again a late scratching due to ongoing issues with concussion, while Turner's afternoon was brought to a premature end because of concussion following a heavy collision in a marking contest in the first term.
Collingwood's Brayden Sier is in doubt to face the Kangaroos due to a corked left quad that he sustained in the third quarter.
Sier was unable to return.
Carlton will monitor ruckman Matthew Kreuzer ahead of its meeting with Hawthorn on Sunday, after he missed most of Friday's game due to an elevated heart rate and shortness of breath.
Matthew Kreuzer will take no further part in tonight's game.#AFLSaintsBlues
— AFL (@AFL) July 13, 2018
: @7AFL pic.twitter.com/ppi1IxGzuL
St Kilda's Jimmy Webster will be assessed, after he finished the game on the bench with ice on a groin.
Gold Coast could be without key defender Steven May, who aggravated a round 16 hip injury in a marking contest.
May battled on, but was proppy.
In other injury news:
- Returning Collingwood defender Darcy Moore dislocated a finger in the second term, but received treatment and played out the match. Tom Langdon (knee) should be right to face North Melbourne, while Mason Cox is a chance to return after being a late withdrawal due to hamstring tightness
- Sydney midfielder Ollie Florent needed some work on his foot in the third quarter, but returned to the field
- Geelong defender Zach Tuohy underwent a concussion test at the end of the first quarter after he was on the end of a Taylor Walker bump. Tuohy passed the test and returned to the game in the second term
Taylor Walker has been placed on report for this contact on Zach Tuohy.#AFLCrowsCats pic.twitter.com/BVluWYFUJf
— AFL (@AFL) July 12, 2018
- Adelaide's Josh Jenkins dislocated a finger, but had it popped back in and played out the game
- At St Kilda, Jake Carlisle (ribs) and Jack Newnes (sore shoulder) should come up, while Luke Dunstan, who passed a first-quarter concussion test, should also be available. Seb Ross was withdrawn late due to illness and should return
- Lions onballer Jarrod Berry passed a concussion test in the win over the Hawks and got through the remainder of the game. Veteran Luke Hodge was a late out with calf bruising, but is expected to return
Jarrod Berry headed to the rooms with the club doctor after this clash.
— AFL (@AFL) July 14, 2018
Update thanks to @MLC_Australia. #AFLHawksLions pic.twitter.com/Suse6iS6J0
- Melbourne co-captain Jack Viney was a late withdrawal, and could miss the rest of the season, after a pre-game scan showed signs of stress in his troublesome toe on his right foot
- Bulldog Josh Schache appeared to hurt a knee in the second term, but returned to play out the game. Billy Gowers (ankle) will be monitored
- Essendon dangerman Orazio Fantasia (groin) was a late withdrawal for the second week in a row and will be assessed
- For the Giants, Sam Reid appeared to hurt a shoulder early in the third term, but played on
- Fremantle forward Cam McCarthy came from the ground with a sore hip during the second term, but played out the match. Big man Sean Darcy limped off during the final term, but also returned
- Port's Riley Bonner had a knee assessed during the third term, but played on