"The best ability is availability." "Health is wealth." These are examples of adages footy fans will be force-fed as the 2025 AFL season rapidly approaches its climax.
As cliche as these phrases are, teams boasting the shortest injury lists come September best position themselves to claim the flag.
Who are the needle movers that this year's finals contenders are looking to welcome back? We take a look with just five home and away matches remaining.
3Adelaide
The Adelaide Crows look scary. The West Lakes natives are the only team in the league to rank in the top three for points for and points against, resulting in a league-best percentage.
Matthew Nicks' charges are playing the most exciting brand of football in the competition, with their dismantling of the Suns on the weekend, a timely reminder of their firepower.
Whilst the three tall forwards the Crows employ most weeks have grabbed headlines, and divided opinion, another factor in the Crows' devastating ability to hit the scoreboard has been their suite of rotating midfield-forwards. No other team enjoys the luxury of four players who are as comfortable at a centre bounce as they are in front of goal.
Izak Rankine, Ben Keays, skipper Jordan Dawson and Josh Rachele have combined for 91 goals this season. The first three of these names will aim to continue this form, while Josh Rachele, who averages the most goals per game of the quartet, recovers from knee surgery. The 2021 draftee thankfully avoided ligament damage, but suffered a posterior capsular tear, along with a bone compression injury, in his side's victory against Melbourne earlier this month.
It presents as a race against time, but the Crows are reasonably optimistic their firebrand will feature again this season, significantly bolstering an already threatening front half, and in turn, the side's premiership chances.
