Injury and selection news for Round 13 has arrived off the back of the weekend's results, while those with a bye could be boosted by the break.
The Cats are in line to welcome back their skipper, while a Richmond defender will require another week out of action.
All four bye sides could have strengthened sides as they hit the home stretch, while a season-ending blow for a Giants veteran has been confirmed.
Here's the latest on the injury front across theย AFLย landscape...
Eagles forwards pushing for recall
West Coast forward pair Jamie Cripps and Jack Petrucelle will need to get through training to be made available for selection this week, as will tall Bailey Williams.
"We have a number of players who are a test to play this week," High Performance Manager Mat Inness said.
"Jamie Cripps has recovered quicker than expected from his minor knee surgery, while Jack Petruccelle had a good rehab session last weekend in recovery from his shoulder injury.
"Both โPetch' and โCrippa' will need to get through main training on Thursday to prove their availability to play this weekend, while a decision around Callum Jamieson's (hamstring) availability will also be made later in the week.
"After being managed last round, Bailey Williams will be available to play this weekend."
Liam Ryan will also need to prove his fitness after suffering a leg issue from a knock in Sunday's loss to Geelong.
Saints star downed
St Kilda youngster Mattaes Phillipou has been sidelined with a calf injury following his subbing from the win over Melbourne.
Phillipou hasn't been given a timeline for his return, but will be re-assessed following the club's bye.
"It's a small muscle in the lower calf which was classified on the lower side post-game," EGM Football David Misson said.ย
"We'll let it settle over the next few days and reassess once he's back on the track post-break."
The Saints are hopeful that Jack Macrae (lung) and Liam Stocker (foot) will progress through their respective injuries, and return to the senior side after the mid-season break.
Schultz hit for six as Pies forward presses claim
Collingwood forward Lachie Schultz will miss up to six weeks of football after sustaining a moderate-grade hamstring tear in the win over Hawthorn.
Patrick Lipinski has entered concussion protocols after his incident with Lloyd Meek and will miss the King's Birthday clash.
In more positive news, key forward Dan McStay will be assessed ahead of the Melbourne battle after recovering from an MCL injury suffered earlier this year.
Both Brayden Maynard and Jordan De Goey are still unavailable.
Danger time as Cats star a chance to return
Geelong's Patrick Dangerfield has been listed as a test as he's recovered from a hamstring injury sustained against Port Adelaide.
Dangerfield has missed the past two weeks and could return in the crunch clash against Gold Coast.
Midfielder Jack Bowes is expected to miss another week with a hamstring injury, while Cameron Guthrie, Jack Martin and Mitch Knevitt all played increased minutes after making their return from injury the week prior.
The VFL trio could force changes to the senior side.
Silvagni, Williams set for Essendon battle
Carlton is hopeful that Jack Silvagni and Zac Williams will make it through training this week in preparation for a crucial clash against Essendon.
The pair have returned to full training, dealing with groin and calf issues respectively.
Speedster Matthew Cottrell underwent scans in recent days, which revealed a hotspot in his foot. No timeline on his return has been determined.
Jordan Boyd has passed concussion protocols and has been cleared to play, as Lachlan Cowan aims to return in Round 14 from a hamstring injury.
He is expected to integrate into full training.
Dockers duo eye post-bye clash
Fremantle could see the return of Michael Walters and Jaeger O'Meara following the bye as the club enters its mid-season break.
O'Meara (hamstring/foot) and Walters (knee) are expected to overcome their injuries and be available for selection.
"It's exciting for those two to be back after a long stint on the sideline," High Performance Manager Phil Merriman said.
"Both are training fully this week with the bye, and then we'll hopefully have them as a test to play the following week."
Quinton Narkle is another week away, but is progressing nicely from his knee issue.
Karl Worner has been managed after experiencing hamstring tightness in the win over Gold Coast.
Captain Alex Pearce also doesn't have a defined return date for his shin injury.
Melbourne veteran sent for surgery
Jack Viney will miss more football after the club confirmed he would be sent for surgery on his fractured hand.
"Jack was completing a training session in Alice Springs as part of his return from concussion," High Performance Manager Selwyn Griffith said.
"During that session, he slipped over and, unfortunately, follow-up imaging showed that he had sustained a fracture to one of the bones in his hand.
"After consulting with a specialist, Jack has undergone surgery and is currently recovering.
"The plan is to assess his availability once the wound is cleared, and we've followed up with the surgeon."
Dogs day as duo listed as tests
Adam Treloar and Riley Garcia have both been listed as tests for this week's clash against Hawthorn.
The pair have been sidelined with leg injuries, and will need to prove their fitness throughout the week to be available for selection.
Remarkably, Sam Darcy has been listed with a two-to-three week return timeline, while Anthony Scott is another fortnight away.
Mixed news for Lions
Brisbane defender Keidean Coleman is expected to miss five weeks with a quad injury.
While training, Coleman sustained the injury over the weekend, and will eye a return after the club's bye.
Fellow defender Brandon Starcevich has been given a timeline of one week after his long battle with concussion.
Key forward Sam Day also needs another week off as he recovers from a hamstring injury.
Depth tall Brandon Ryan suffered a facial fracture in the VFL, but could still play this weekend.
Giant small set to make his long-awaited return
GWS' Brent Daniels is tipped to return after a long stint on the sidelines, which was described as a unique abdominal injury.
Midfielder Finn Callaghan is ahead of schedule from his shoulder injury, while Jake Stringer is progressing positively from a hamstring issue. The pair have a return timeline of a fortnight.
Ruckman Kieren Briggs will miss up to three weeks with an ongoing ankle issue.
Hawks skipper sidelined, young gun tipped for stint out
Hawthorn skipper James Sicily will miss the fortnight for the Hawks as he struggles to deal with a hip issue that has impacted his 2025 season.
Sicily, who turned 30 in January, has struggled to recapture his 2023 and 2024 form this season for the Hawks, who are currently sitting at 7-5 after 12 games.
The Hawks skipper has been managing the issue since earlier in the season and has struggled with his kicking, where he has gone from being one of the most reliable users of the ball in the Hawthorn team to struggling to hit targets.
Sicily had scans on the problem area yesterday and the decision was made that the Hawks captain would be managed as the area of concern had worsened.
During Hawthorn's main training session today, Sicily was in the rehabilitation group, where he was struggling to run and the decision has been made to rest the skipper for the next two matches, which will lead up to the Hawks mid-season bye.
"Unfortunately, James' injury has flared up post the Collingwood game on Friday night after showing improvement in the weeks prior," Hawks doc Liam West said.
โHaving played every game this season, we were always looking to give James an extended break around the bye, so we've decided to bring this forward."
Already missing key midfielder Will Day, the Hawks will have to contend without their inspirational skipper during important clashes against the Western Bulldogs and Adelaide, as the Hawks look to arrest their poor form, which has seen them struggle to contend with premiership fancies Brisbane and Collingwood over the past two weeks.
Sicily's form drop has coincided with the Hawks indifferent form since their mid-season bye, where they were sitting on top of the ladder with four consecutive wins.
Since then, the Hawks have struggled to bring consistency to their game, winning 3 games and losing 5, including their past 3, with worrying signs creeping into their game including losing the tackle count massively over the past few weeks.
The Hawks will have their Captain's run on Wednesday morning before the squad for Thursday night's match is announced Wednesday evening.
The Hawks are also expected to be without young flanker Bodie Ryan for some time after suffering a broken collarbone.
Roos father-son nearing return
North Melbourne's Jackson Archer is nearing a return to football after he was sidelined with a hamstring strain.
Archer suffered a high-grade tear in Round 8 against Essendon, but is set to join the main group at training this week.
The youngster is expected to return via the VFL.
Young Matt Whitlock is expected to exit concussion protocols to be available for selection.
However, Josh Goater's return has been delayed after a setback with his quad/hamstring injuries.
"Unfortunately, during a football session last week, Josh had a re-aggravation of his previous quad strain in a kicking drill," North Melbourne head of performance Kevin White said.
"It now pushes his return to play back, which is disappointing for Josh and the club."
There's no return date determined for Goater yet.
Season over for first-year Sun
Gold Coast recruit Max Knobel will miss the rest of the season with a foot injury.
Knobel has spent the last period on the sidelines as the Suns assessed his ailment, with the former Docker joining Elliott Himmelberg (knee) and Charlie Ballard (knee) out of action for the rest of the year.
The Suns will remain without Lachie Weller (hamstring), Jake Rogers (shoulder) and Caleb Graham (Achilles) for the next week at least.
Tom Berry (knee) and Will Graham (shoulder) remain sidelined for at least the next six weeks.
Power gun ruled out of Canberra clash
Port Adelaide young gun Jason Horne-Francis won't face GWS this week as he continues to nurse a hamstring injury.
The Power have stated the former No.1 pick will suit up the following week against Melbourne.
Both Kane Farrell (knee) and Josh Sinn (hip) are available for this week's trip to Manuka Oval, while Darcy Byrne Jones (concussion) will look to exit protocols this week.
Josh Lai (hand) and Esava Ratugolea (hamstring) will both need to prove their fitness on the track this week.
Recruit Jack Lukosius is at least two weeks away with his back concern, while defender Lachie Jones requires roughly a month before he returns to action.
Blow for young Crows duo
Second-year Adelaide defender Oscar Ryan will miss up to a month with a fractured jaw sustained at training.
Ryan suffered the injury on the track last week in what is a frustrating setback for the 20-year-old.
โUnfortunately Oscar Ryan has had a small fracture to his jaw on Friday as a result of a training incident,โ Crows high performance boss Darren Burgess said
โHe has had that repaired and he will be out for the next three-to-four weeks.
โHe will be able to run from next week, so he won't lose too much fitness there, but we just need to avoid contact for a few weeks.โ
Crows rookie Tyler Welsh will miss two months after undergoing surgery on a toe injury, while defender Nick Murray is a week away with his knee issue.
Tigers defender impressing as draftees need more time
Richmond is hopeful Jayden Short will return to the senior side in one week, as he overcomes a calf issue.
"Last week we said he was about 1 to 2 weeks away, and I'm happy to say that is still the case," High Performance Manager Ben Serpell said.
"He is still at least one game away, and he is progressing well and starting to get some real inroads in his training sessions."
Sam Lalor (hamstring) and Josh Smillie (conditioning) need around a month before they are likely to put their hand up for selection, as does Taj Hotton (ACL).
Similar timelines for Josh Gibcus (ACL), Harry Armstrong (hamstring) and Thomson Dow (patella).
Key names in the mix for bye sides
Fresh off their mid-season breaks, Carlton, the Western Bulldogs, Port Adelaide and North Melbourne could have troops ready for Round 13.
The Blues could see Jack Silvagni (groin), Lachie Cowan (hamstring), Jordan Boyd (concussion), Matt Cottrell (ankle) and Zac Williams (calf) all available to face the Bombers on Sunday.
North Melbourne could have first-round pick Matt Whitlock ready after his own concussion battle over the break, while the Western Bulldogs are likely to have All-Australian Adam Treloar ready after his latest calf issue.
Power trio Josh Sinn (hip), Esava Ratugolea (hamstring) and Darcy Byrne-Jones (concussion) will also press their case for selection.
Giant downed by "heartbreaking" injuryย
Callan Ward's career is in jeopardy after it was confirmed he suffered an ACL tear during the three-point victory over Richmond.
Ward went down early in the first term, and showed incredible emotion following what he suspected would be the season over.
The 35-year-old returned to his teammates to deliver a stirring speech that turned around a 28-point three-quarter time deficit to a narrow victory.
Cats set for boost
Geelong are in line to have captain Patrick Dangerfield available for this week's meeting with the Suns at Kardinia Park.
The Brownlow Medal winner has been sidelined since Round 10 with a hamstring concern, seeing him miss the wins over the Western Bulldogs and ore recently West Coast.
Speaking after the win over the Eagles, coach Chris Scott said the club is likely to have Dangerfield when Geelong host Gold Coast on Saturday.
"He trained fully during the week," Scott said.
"If this was our last game of the year, he would've played. So that gives us confidence he'll be right (to face the Suns)."
The Cats are also expected to have Jed Bews, Cameron Guthrie, Jack Martin and Jhye Clark, among others, available for selection.
