Who's struggling and who's a test ahead of the final regular game
Player
Injury
Estimated Return
Cam Ellis-Yolmen*
Knee
Season
Jordan Gallucci
Jaw
Season
Elliott Himmelberg
Foot
Season
Andy Otten
Ankle
Test
Daniel Talia
Ankle
Test
Updated: Tuesday, August 22
Early prognosis
Talia rolled his ankle in the third quarter of the Crows' three-point loss to Sydney last Friday night, but played out the game. Gallucci fractured his jaw in the SANFL last weekend. Key defender Kyle Hartigan (hamstring) and midfielder Curtly Hampton (ankle) made successful returns in the SANFL.- Lee Gaskin
Player
Injury
Estimated Return
Tom Bell
Ankle
Season
Jarrod Berry
Foot
Test
Allen Christensen
Shoulder
Season
Marco Paparone
Hamstring
Test
Mitch Robinson
Foot
Season
Sam Skinner
Knee
Season
Updated: Tuesday, August 22
Early prognosis
Berry has missed two weeks already and the Lions might like to put him in cotton wool, but the impressive first-year midfielder has a chance of getting up to play the Kangaroos. - Michael Whiting
Player
Injury
Estimated Return
Patrick Cripps
Fractured fibula
Season
Ed Curnow
Bruised larynx
Season
Patrick Kerr
Hip
Season
Caleb Marchbank
Arm
Test
Harry McKay
Toe
Season
Andrew Phillips*
Foot
Season
Cameron Polson
Shoulder
Season
Sam Rowe*
Knee
Season
Alex Silvagni
Knee
Season
Billie Smedts
Concussion
Test
Simon White
Knee
Season
Updated: Tuesday, August 22
Early prognosis
Defender Marchbank is a chance to return for the Blues' final match of the season after missing the past two games with an arm injury. Smedts was concussed during the win against Hawthorn last Saturday night and faces a test. McKay has been ruled out with a toe injury. - Howard Kotton
Player
Injury
Estimated Return
Taylor Adams
Head/blurred vision
TBC
Ben Crocker
Ankle
1 week
Jordan De Goey
Hip flexor
Season
Alex Fasolo
Shoulder
TBC
Tyson Goldsack
Soreness
Test
Levi Greenwood
Knee
Season
Brodie Grundy
Suspended
Available
Liam Mackie
Ankle
Test
Mitch McCarthy
Foot
Season
Adam Oxley
Ankle
Season
Scott Pendlebury
Broken finger
Season
Henry Schade
Hamstring
Season
Ben Sinclair*
Hamstring
Season
Travis Varcoe
Elbow
Season
Daniel Wells
Quad
Test
Rupert Wills
Quad
TBC
Updated: Tuesday, August 22
Early prognosis
Adams will be assessed after copping a couple of head knocks in the loss to Geelong. Grundy is available after serving his suspension, while Goldsack and Fasolo could also return to face Melbourne. Wells' season appears over, joining the likes of Pendlebury, Varcoe, Greenwood and De Goey.- Ben Collins
Player
Injury
Estimated Return
Orazio Fantasia
Hamstring
2-3 weeks
Josh Green
Foot
Season
Heath Hocking
Hamstring
Test
Michael Hurley
Calf
Test
Matthew Leuenberger
Ankle
Test
Ben McNiece
Neck
Season
Jackson Merrett
Leg
Season
Updated: Tuesday, August 22
Early prognosis
Fantasia is a chance to play in the first week of finals, if the Bombers get there. The club won't take any risk with Hurley's calf strain while Hocking copped a hamstring corkie in the VFL. - Dinny Navaratnam
Player
Injury
Estimated Return
Michael Apeness
Knee
Season
Harley Balic
Hamstring/Personal leave
Indefinite
Connor Blakely
Shoulder
Season
Zac Clarke*
Knee
Season
Brady Grey
Hamstring
Season
Shane Kersten
Groin
Test
Ed Langdon
Knee
Season
Lachie Neale
Groin/Knee
Test
Alex Pearce
Leg
Season
Aaron Sandilands
Hamstring
Season
Lee Spurr
Calf
Season
Matthew Uebergang
Hamstring
Season
Michael Walters
Knee
Season
Updated: Tuesday, August 22
Early prognosis
Spurr hasn't recovered from his calf in time to make it back for the final game, while star midfielder Neale is no certainty to face the Bombers after missing the thumping from Richmond. Kersten adds to the Dockers' long injury list and faces a fitness test. - Travis King
Player
Injury
Estimated Return
Mark Blicavs
Ankle
1-2 weeks
Nakia Cockatoo
Hamstring
2-3 weeks
Josh Cowan
Achilles
Season
Cory Gregson*
Foot
Season
George Horlin-Smith
Achilles
Test
Timm House
General soreness
Test
Jamaine Jones
Illness
Test
Lincoln McCarthy
Hip/Groin
Season
Quinton Narkle
Knee
Season
Brandan Parfitt
General soreness
Test
Esava Ratugolea
Broken hand
4 weeks
Joel Selwood
Ankle
1-2 weeks
Rhys Stanley
Calf
Test
Updated: Tuesday, August 22
Early prognosis
Stanley should be available for selection after missing last week due to a calf problem while Blicavs and Selwood are both eyeing off a return in week one of the finals, but they still face a race against time. Cockatoo's return date is slightly behind that pair but he would be a handy addition if the Cats go deep into the finals. Horlin-Smith's Achilles' injury is frustrating. - Peter Ryan
Player
Injury
Estimated Return
Gary Ablett
Hamstring
Test
Michael Barlow
Leg
Season
Dan Currie
Foot
Season
Sam Day
Hip
Season
Kade Kolodjashnij
Concussion
Season
Sean Lemmens
Ankle
Season
Cam Loersch
Hand
Season
Tom Lynch
Knee
Season
Jarryd Lyons
Ankle
Test
Tom Nicholls
Ankle
Test
Rory Thompson
Hamstring
Test
Jarrod Witts
Shoulder
Season
Updated: Tuesday, August 22
Early prognosis
With just one match remaining, not many players are on the way back. Ablett is a tiny chance of playing Port, Lyons less so, while Thompson and Nicholls could get back to play in the Suns' NEAFL elimination final against the NT Thunder. - Michael Whiting
Player
Injury
Estimated Return
Matt Buntine
Knee
Season
Ryan Griffen
Ankle
2 weeks
Steve Johnson
Knee
Test
Adam Kennedy
Knee
Season
Rory Lobb
Groin/hamstring
Test
Updated: Tuesday, August 22
Early prognosis
Johnson will return to face his former side in Saturday night's massive clash after resting his knee for a week, with Lobb also a chance to come back in if he can train well this week. Ryan Griffen ran well last week but remains a long shot to play again this year.- Adam Curley
Player
Injury
Estimated Return
Grant Birchall
Knee
Season
James Cousins
Shoulder
Season
Jonathon Ceglar*
ACL
Season
Jack Fitzpatrick
Concussion
Retired
James Frawley
Turf toe
Season
Josh Gibson
Groin
Season
Kieran Lovell
Shoulder
Test
Cyril Rioli
PCL
Season
Liam Shiels
Hip
Test
Ben Stratton
Knee
Season
Updated: Tuesday, August 22
Early prognosis
Shiels is still sore and faces a fitness test on Thursday and is no certainty to play against the Bulldogs in the season finale on Friday night. Puopolo and O’Meara pulled up well from their comeback games last week. The Hawks will finish the season with a lengthy injury list, but don't appear to have too many players facing a delayed start to what might be their longest pre-season for some time.- Ashley Browne
Player
Injury
Estimated Return
Lochie Filipovic
Hip flexor
Season
Colin Garland*
Knee
Season
Dean Kent
Shoulder
Season
Pat McKenna
Hamstring
Season
Joel Smith
Knee
Season
Tim Smith
Navicular bone
Season
Jake Spencer
Abdomen
Test
Aaron vandenBerg*
Heel
Season
Jack Viney
Foot
Test
Mitch White
Hamstring
2 weeks
Updated: Tuesday, August 22
Early prognosis
The Demons won't take any risks with Viney and he remains in doubt for this Saturday's match against Collingwood. Ruckman Spencer is a chance to return via Casey in the VFL. The Demons have six players out for the remainder of the season. - Ben Guthrie
Player
Injury
Estimated Return
Paul Ahern*
Knee
Season
Majak Daw
Foot
Season
Todd Goldstein
Eye/knee
Test
Mitch Hibberd
Shoulder
Season
Ben Jacobs
Lower leg
Season
Nick Larkey
Knee
Test
Jamie Macmillan
Finger
Season
Dan Nielson
Concussion
Test
Braydon Preuss
Shoulder
Test
Ed Vickers-Willis
PCL
Season
Corey Wagner
Ankle
Test
Jarrad Waite
Calf
Test
Declan Watson
Knee
Season
Marley Williams
Back/shoulder
Season
Mason Wood
Calf
Test
Sam Wright
Foot/ankle
Season
Jack Ziebell
Foot
Test
Cameron Zurhaar
Back
Test
Updated: Tuesday, August 22
Early prognosis
North could almost field a side with its injury list, and many of the players are already out for the season. Aaron Mullett (calf) is not on the list, so looms as a likely inclusion. The club is reporting Ziebell, Goldstein, Preuss and Waite are all in doubt and will have to pass fitness tests to play. There could be a major ruck problem if Goldstein and Preuss both fail to recover, with back-up option Larkey also under an injury cloud. - Marc McGowan
Player
Injury
Estimated Return
Matthew Broadbent
Ankle
Test
Billy Frampton
Shoulder
Season
Sam Gray
Corked thigh
Test
Dan Houston
Shoulder
Test
Tom Jonas
Suspended
Finals week two
Jasper Pittard
Calf
TBC
Jimmy Toumpas
Knee
Test
Updated: Tuesday, August 22
Early prognosis
Houston and Gray will need to pass fitness tests this week to take on Gold Coast at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night. Broadbent has missed a fair bit of time and would likely come through the SANFL, as would Pittard. - Lee Gaskin
Player
Injury
Estimated Return
Josh Caddy
Hamstring
1 week
Nathan Drummond*
Knee
Season
Updated: Tuesday, August 22
Early prognosis
The Tigers are confident Caddy will be fit to return after the pre-finals bye, giving them a one-week window to prepare him for a blockbuster final. The Tigers' list is in the best shape it has been all season after Reece Conca and Ben Griffiths came off the injury list and returned through the VFL. Steven Morris also returned through the VFL at the weekend following a seven-week hamstring injury. - Nathan Schmook
Player
Injury
Estimated Return
David Armitage
Groin
Season
Nick Coughlan
Hamstring
Season
Nathan Freeman
Ankle
Season
Sam Gilbert
Abdominal
1 week
Hugh Goddard
Foot
Season
Paddy McCartin
Concussion
Indefinite
Darren Minchington
Ankle
Season
Leigh Montagna
Hamstring
2-3 weeks
Nathan Wright
Ankle
Season
Updated: Tuesday, August 22
Early prognosis
An abdominal strain for Gilbert means he won't play in what will almost certainly be the club's last game of the year. Jake Carlisle's back seized up while warming up against North Melbourne last Sunday but he played that game and pulled up well. - Dinny Navaratnam
Player
Injury
Estimated Return
Darcy Cameron
Shoulder
Season
Robbie Fox
Ankle
1 week
Sam Naismith
Hip
Test
Updated: Tuesday, August 22
Early prognosis
Naismith did some light training last week and stepped that up on Tuesday, and if he pulls up well and gets through Thursday's closed session, he will be available for selection. - Adam Curley
Player
Injury
Estimated Return
Matthew Allen
Foot
Season
Sam Butler*
Hamstring
Season
Mark LeCras
Hamstring
Test
Scott Lycett
Shoulder
Season
Nic Naitanui*
Knee
Late 2017 season
Simon Tunbridge
Hamstring
Season
Daniel Venables
Toe
Season
Updated: Tuesday, August 22
Early prognosis
The Eagles expect Mark LeCras to be available for the do-or-die clash against Adelaide on Sunday if he gets through training on Thursday after two weeks sidelined by a hamstring issue. Luckless forward Tunbridge's horror run with injury continues. He is set for hamstring surgery and his season is over after a frustrating comeback from a hybrid LARS knee reconstruction. - Travis King
Player
Injury
Estimated Return
Marcus Adams
Foot
1-2 weeks
Stewart Crameri
Hip
Season
Tim English
Concussion
Test
Lin Jong
Knee
Season
Brad Lynch
Hamstring
Test
Jack Redpath
Suspension
2 matches
Roarke Smith
Knee
Season
Jake Stringer
Hamstring
2-3 weeks
Easton Wood
Hamstring
3-4 weeks
Updated: Tuesday, August 22
Early prognosis
With the Bulldogs premiership defence all but over, so is Stringer's season after a minor hamstring injury in the loss to the Power. - Ryan Davidson
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