The Australian Football League (AFL) is witnessing critical player movements as the season approaches its climax. Sam Walsh returns to the Carlton lineup, while Taylor Walker strengthens Adelaide’s offensive capabilities. In stark contrast, the GWS Giants will be without key forwards Jesse Hogan and Jake Stringer as they fight to secure a finals berth.
This weekend marks a pivotal moment for the Giants, who currently sit at 14-7 and cling to the eighth spot on the ladder. They are set to face a formidable challenge against the Gold Coast Suns, who are in strong form with a record of 14-6. The absence of Hogan, sidelined with a lingering foot injury, is compounded by Stringer’s hamstring strain, leaving GWS without two of their primary attacking options.
GWS coach Adam Kingsley spoke about Hogan’s situation, stating, “We’ll continue to manage him and cross our fingers and hope that he’s right for St Kilda. He’s not going to do any more damage to it. We know that for sure.” Kingsley added that Hogan is currently managing pain that is just “a fraction too much for him to be able to manage it.”
In the latest round of team selections, GWS has called up winger Jacob Wehr to help compensate for the losses. Meanwhile, the Suns have also made adjustments, bringing back Sam Flanders and Alex Sexton to replace injured players Bailey Humphrey (knee) and Malcolm Rosas Jr (hamstring).
Adelaide’s Walker returns for a high-stakes matchup against Collingwood after being rested during last week’s trip to Perth. Crows midfielder Harry Schoenberg is set to make his first AFL appearance of the season, while veteran defender Brodie Smith also makes his comeback. In a blow for the Crows, Luke Pedlar is out due to a hamstring injury sustained during training, following a strong performance where he kicked three goals against the Eagles.
Collingwood has opted to drop both Tom Mitchell and Will Hoskin-Elliott as they deal with the fallout of losing Jeremy Howe to concussion. Bobby Hill is still unavailable due to illness.
In other notable updates, the Brisbane Lions welcome back premiership defenders Ryan Lester and Brandon Starcevich for their Friday night clash against Fremantle. However, they will be without Tom Doedee, who has been ruled out with knee soreness. The Dockers will see the return of tagger Corey Wagner, who has recovered from a heel injury.
The weekend’s action also sees Patrick Dangerfield returning for Geelong in their crucial match against Sydney on Sunday. Sydney has suffered their own setbacks, losing star ruckman Brodie Grundy to concussion and Justin McInerney due to a knee injury.
The St Kilda Saints are set to debut Alex Dodson, a 203cm ruckman, in their Friday night match against Essendon. However, Hunter Clark will miss the game due to a knee injury, while Liam Henry and Max Heath have been dropped.
Essendon faces a challenging situation, losing Zach Merrett (hand), Archie May (ankle), and Dylan Shiel (suspension), but they will regain Kyle Langford and introduce their 15th debutant of the season, Rhys Unwin.
In a significant boost for Melbourne, star defender Steven May returns from suspension for their match against an unchanged Hawthorn on Saturday.
As the competition intensifies, teams are making strategic decisions that could have lasting implications for their finals aspirations. The upcoming matches promise to be crucial as teams vie for playoff positioning in the AFL.
