SEVEN of the topeight clubs will sweat on the fitness of players leading into the final round.
The only club notreported to have any injury concerns from round 22 is Richmond.
The hardest hitare Hawthorn and the Sydney Swans, who will stage a first-versus-fourthblockbuster at ANZ Stadium on Friday night.
Hawks midfielder Jordan Lewis was a late withdrawal fromhis side's clash with North Melbourne with a corked hip, while teammates Cyril Rioli and Liam Shiels hurt their right ankles against the Kangaroos.
In his first AFLgame in almost two months, Shiels reinjured the medial ligament that heoriginally damaged in Hawthorn's round 14 win over the Brisbane Lions at AuroraStadium.
The Swans willcertainly be without Rhyce Shaw, whosuffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee againstGeelong. He will undergo his second knee reconstruction, having torn the ACL inhis left knee in 2005.
Star teammate Dan Hannebery copped a knock to his rightknee, but played out the game. Hannebery is also playing through the pain of shoulderproblems.
Swans co-captain Kieren Jack was also limping at game'send.
Collingwood willmonitor the fitness of gun midfielders DayneBeams and Luke Ball ahead of itsclash with North Melbourne. Beams was a late withdrawal against West Coast witha tight back, while Ball experienced calf tightness.
Ball's front-on tackleon Jamie Cripps could also attract the attention of the Match Review Panel,although Cripps didn’t show any ill-effects from the high contact.
Fremantle willkeep an eye on Nick Suban (right hamstring),Hayden Ballantyne (right shoulder) and Michael Walters (knee) and could rest all three against lowly StKilda.
Geelong big man Nathan Vardy was in the wars againstthe Swans, copping a heavy head knock and later suffering a left hip/adductorproblem.
The relatively injury-freeTigers will take on an Essendon side that could be without key players Michael Hurley (right hamstring/thigh) Stewart Crameri (right ankle) and Heath Hocking (likely suspension).
Hocking couldmiss multiple matches after collecting Carlton speedster Chris Yarran with aright forearm to the head in the third quarter. Over the past three seasons, thetagger has been suspended three times for a total of six games.
Port Adelaide willassess young star Chad Wingard (leftadductor/groin), midfielder BradEbert (corked buttock) and key defender AlipateCarlile (eye) before their home clash with Carlton.
The Blues, whocould make the finals if Essendon is stripped of its premiership points, havetheir own concerns with experienced pair BrockMcLean and Heath Scotlandsuffering right quad injuries, while ruckman Matthew Kreuzer was a late withdrawal against Essendon with a calfproblem.
North Melbournehard nut Leigh Adams pulled out ofhis side's game against Hawthorn with a knee injury.
Brisbane Lionsdefender Daniel Merrett suffered agruesome ankle injury in the win over the Western Bulldogs.
Adelaide trio Daniel Talia (corked buttock), Sam Kerridge (ribs) and Tom Lynch (foot) are in doubt for theCrows' clash with West Coast, which could be missing both Jack Darling (hamstring) and SharrodWellingham (ankle).
Bulldogs star Ryan Griffen tweaked his left ankle inhis side's loss to the Lions and could be in doubt for the Dogs' game againstMelbourne.
The Demons willbe without the luckless David Rodan,who suffered yet another apparently serious knee injury. The high-flying Jeremy Howe also received a cut faceafter receiving an accidental boot to face while attempting to tackle.
Gold Coast trio Andrew Boston(sternum), Daniel Gorringe (groin)and Greg Broughton (Achilles tendon)could miss the Suns' clash with Greater Western Sydney, which could be without Liam Sumner (Achilles).
Twitter: @AFL_BenCollins
