While trade week and the 2014 national draft provide opportunities for each AFL club to bolster their list, some of the biggest additions will come from within.
Key players returning from long stints in the medical room may be the difference between some clubs stepping up or fading out in 2015.
While unable to end this season the way they would have liked, these players will be set to embrace the offseason and burst back onto the scene as soon as possible.
Adelaide Crows
Nathan van Berlo, remember him? Adelaide’s captain had his Achilles tendon snapped after a preseason collision with a training sled. For a club that finished the season just one game outside the eight, regaining the skipper, who is a more than handy midfielder, can only mean a stronger push for September action.
Brisbane Lions
ACL injuries to Daniel Rich and Trent West were huge blows for the Lions this year. Rich, who was the 2009 Rising Star winner, was injured in Round 3 while West’s injury came in Round 11, making Rich a more likely addition to the side in the opening weeks of 2015.
Carlton Blues
Andrew Walker struggled with his knee for much of the season before eventually being ruled out in July. Known for his runs off half-back and aerial skills, Walker has the potential to set the ball rolling from defence should he fully recover.
Collingwood Magpies
The Pies’ medical room was more a functioning hospital this year. An ACL rupture to Brent Macaffer in Round 22 will rule him out for most, if not all, of 2015. The same goes for high draft pick Matthew Scharenburg. But a fully fit Ben Reid and Nathan Brown would add significantly to the back half after lengthy stints on the sideline.
Essendon Bombers
Ensuring Dustin Fletcher’s dislocated finger is looked after, the Bombers will enter 2015 with a relatively healthy list. The main boost for the Bombers will come through the returning Nick Kommer. After a solid first year, knee surgery saw him miss the 2014 season. Jake Carlisle will also return after a minor hamstring injury late in the season.
Fremantle Dockers
Key defenders Michael Johnson and Luke McPharlin are the must-have inclusions for the Dockers. Tumbling out of the finals in straight sets reaffirmed the duo’s importance to the side. All-Australian small forward Hayden Ballantyne should return to the team in the opening rounds after breaking his jaw in a collision with Ted Richards in the first week of the finals. Anthony Morabito remains an unknown quantity after a lengthy and horrid run of injuries.
Geelong Cats
Four knee reconstructions later, Daniel Menzel may finally make his return to senior football after an absence spanning back to 2011. Menzel had all but cemented his place in the Geelong side before rupturing his ACL in the first round of the 2011 finals. The Cats went on to win the premiership in his absence.
Gold Coast Suns
Gary Ablett. Need more be said? One of the greatest players to pull on an Aussie Rules jumper will return after opting for surgery to repair his dislocated shoulder. His return will most certainly be the cornerstone of the Suns’ 2015 campaign.
Greater Western Sydney Giants
Star full forward Jon Patton is set to miss at least 2015 after another awful tear to his ACL. Returning Jeremy Cameron will soften the blow to the Giants, as will the return of number one draft pick Lachie Whitfield from reconstructive shoulder surgery.
Hawthorn Hawks
Versatile midfielder Brendan Whitecross will enter the mix after preseason knee surgery. While perhaps not a walk-up start, he provides excellent depth for the reigning premiers and will push his case for selection.
Melbourne Demons
Co-captain Jack Trengove is a certainty to return to the developing Demons side after a foot injury shortened his season to just two games. Paul Roos will also regain Jimmy Toumpas, who was struck down with acute appendicitis and missed large chunks of 2014.
North Melbourne Kangaroos
Robbie Tarrant is set to rejoin the Roos in 2015, but may face a similar prospect to that of brother Chris upon his return. The rise of Ben Brown and continued form of Drew Petrie may pose a roadblock for Tarrant’s immediate inclusion in the starting 22. A move to the back line may beckon.
Port Adelaide Power
Port Adelaide fared exceedingly well on the injury front throughout this season. Jarrad Redden, Brent Renouf and Sam Colquhoun will all return to selection discussions after periods of absence.
Richmond Tigers
A relatively quiet injury front after a rollercoaster season. Nathan Foley’s shocking broken nose sustained in the finals thumping at the hands of Port Adelaide serves as the only real concern. Will be right for Round 1 though.
St. Kilda Saints
Promising midfielder Eli Templeton managed to play the first six games of the season before succumbing to a fractured humerus. Twenty-year-old Jimmy Webster was another regular contributor, playing 11 games in each of his first two seasons. A broken foot may delay his return slightly beyond Round 1.
Sydney Swans
Hamstring setbacks to Tom Derickx left Mike Pyke with the bulk of the ruck work late in the year and his breakout start will give cause for his return to the side. 2012 premiership star Alex Johnson looks destined for another year on the sidelines following an infection that came from his fourth knee reconstruction.
West Coast Eagles
Preseason surgery to vice captain Beau Waters’ shoulder saw him miss the entire season on the back of an interrupted 2013. The experienced defender’s return will bolster the Eagles’ backline alongside 2014 All-Australian Eric McKenzie.
Western Bulldogs
The Dogs lost a few key players late, but most should be fit to start in 2015. Easton Wood and Mitch Wallis are among the injured likely to return, while Clay Smith may not feature until later in the year as he recovers from a ruptured ACL.
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