Which player does your club need back this year?
Injuries can make or break a team and the return of a key player often brings with it a renewed sense of hope.
With the 2022 season not yet at the halfway point, there is still plenty to be excited about for most of the 18 clubs, especially if those in the medical room can get back on the park.
With that in mind, we have put together a list of the players currently injured or soon to return who will be like a new recruit to their team in the back half of the season.
Paul Seedsman
The Crows have missed Paul Seedsman this year.
He had a career-best season in 2021, finishing third in the best and fairest and making the All-Australian squad of 40.
With the 30-year-old continuing to recover from concussion symptoms, there is no guarantee he will be back anytime soon.
But if he does return at any point, he will bring a damaging skillset which had him in the top 10 for inside 50s and sixth in the league for metres gained in 2021.
Adelaide could do with some experience to help guide the kids and some extra outside run to help complement their midfield’s strong inside game.
Seedsman certainly provides both.
Andrew Slevison
Eric Hipwood
Brisbane is set to welcome back Eric Hipwood imminently with the forward making a successful recovery from an ACL injury.
While Brisbane’s forward line has hummed without the key tall so far this season, the recent losses of Joe Daniher and Dan McStay to injury means Hipwood’s return looms as even more critical.
It’s been floated that the athletic tall could even return as soon as this weekend, meaning by mid-season he should be free of any rust and firing on all cylinders for the remainder of the year.
There’s no doubt the Lions are one of the competition’s best sides, and the addition of Hipwood could genuinely help give them that added boost to contend offensively with the likes of Melbourne.
You wouldn’t want to be a key defender coming up against their three-pronged attack later in the campaign.
Lachlan Geleit
Caleb Marchbank
Caleb Marchbank has not played for Carlton since July of 2019, dealing with significant neck, back and knee injuries.
He made his return from a torn ACL in the VFL on the weekend and was immediately the Blues’ best player at the level in just three quarters.
Carlton will be hoping to slot him into a currently understrength backline as either the third tall defender floating in or the second pillar next to Jacob Weitering.
Mitch McGovern is out long term, Oscar McDonald has a troublesome back, Luke Parks has a foot injury and Liam Jones is gone.
The Blues will be desperate to integrate the highly talented Marchbank back into the defensive unit.
Nic Negrepontis
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Jordan Roughead
Collingwood has felt the loss of Jordan Roughead in 2022 with the key defender playing just one game so far due to shoulder and finger injuries.
The 31-year-old has been a mainstay down back over the last three seasons, with his ability to take the opposition’s most dangerous key forward freeing up the likes of Darcy Moore and Jeremy Howe to play important intercept roles.
In Roughead’s absence, Collingwood has often struggled against bigger key forwards due to Moore and Howe’s tendency to play off their man.
That’s been compounded as the Pies haven’t really had any cavalry to replace Roughead as Jack Madgen is undersized, while Round 1 hopeful Charlie Dean has also been sidelined with injury.
With an expected return date set before the bye, the Pies will be thrilled to welcome back one of their more experienced players for the second half of the campaign.
Lachlan Geleit
Harrison Jones
The Essendon forward line has come under significant criticism recently, despite Peter Wright emerging as one of the most prolific goal kickers in the competition so far this season.
As the Bombers look to find a bit of form on the back of their come-from-behind win over Hawthorn in Round 8, forward Harrison Jones is on the cusp of returning from an ankle injury.
The 21-year-old was pivotal for his side’s fortunes last year, kicking 20 goals in his first full season at AFL level.
Speaking on Sportsday earlier this week, football boss Josh Mahoney admitted too many of Essendon’s forward entries were going in Wright’s direction and Jones’ inclusion should help the club become more dynamic going forward.
Wright has shown himself to be a durable option up forward but he needs help. In Jones, the club has another exciting option as the Bombers look to salvage something in the second half of the season.
Laurence Rosen
Nathan Fyfe
Probably the most obvious choice in the entire article, Fremantle’s hot start to the year will soon be compounded by the return of Nathan Fyfe.
The Freo skipper hasn’t played this year as he battles shoulder and back issues, but is getting closer to a return.
The question will be how the Dockers fit him in. Their midfield has fired on all cylinders without him, but they could use the additional firepower.
The two-time Brownlow Medallist playing predominantly forward and rotating through the midfield in crucial moments could be the x-factor that takes Fremantle from a nice story in the first half of the year, to a genuine premiership contender.
It may be the single best selection headache any coach will have this year.
Nic Negrepontis
Jon Ceglar and Sam Menegola
The Cats were keen on recruiting Jon Ceglar in the 2021 trade period, and they’ll hope to show why when the former Hawk steps out in the hoops later this year.
The ruckman has been struck down by a foot injury this season and is yet to play a game, however, the club still holds hope he’ll return in the back half of the year.
Coming off a strong 2021 season averaging 15 disposals and 21 hit-outs a game at Hawthorn, Ceglar and Rhys Stanley will compete for the mantle of the No.1 ruckman when both fit. With only one likely to play, it should raise the standards of both and therefore give the Cats a boost in the ruck, an area they’ve struggled with in recent years.
Meanwhile, Sam Menegola will also hope to play his first game this year in the coming weeks. The midfielder is coming back from knee surgery and a concussion, but is set to be reintegrated into the main training group this week.
The Cats have lacked depth beyond their usual stars in the midfield this year, and Menegola’s reintroduction will strengthen the on-ball unit.
He averaged 23 disposals a game in 2021 and will also provide Chris Scott flexibility on where best to deploy Patrick Dangerfield, furthering Menegola’s importance to the line-up.
Seb Mottram
Rory Thompson
Gold Coast has been blessed with a clean bill of health this season, Ben King the only best 22 player set to be out for an extended period.
However, that’s not to say they won’t have any improvement in the coming weeks.
Defender Rory Thompson returned in Round 8, his first game since 2018, having been a key member of the Suns’ line-up prior to the injury.
The 31-year-old provides a big mental boost to the side, as evidenced by their upset win over Sydney, and his form is only going to improve as he plays more footy.
With Thompson in the team, he and Sam Collins will likely take the lockdown roles, giving Charlie Ballard more opportunity to come off his man and display his impressive intercepting abilities.
The defensive six will continue to gel as Thompson improves in the coming weeks, and with the Suns struggling to prevent big scores so far this year, the addition could prove a crucial one for Stuart Dew.
Seb Mottram
Jacob Hopper
Jacob Hopper started the season quietly against Sydney in Round 1 before he was peculiarly ‘managed’ the following week.
The Giants then discovered he had a knee issue and required an arthroscope, so sent him for surgery with the view to having him fit for the second half of the season.
He remains about six weeks away which is a shame for the struggling side. Leon Cameron would be eager to have him back as soon as possible as they navigate a downturn in form which has them sitting 15th with a 2-6 record.
Veteran defender and former co-captain Phil Davis (hamstring) would be handy right now and small forward Brent Daniels (foot) will also be a welcome return, perhaps this weekend, but more likely in Round 10.
Andrew Slevison
Ben McEvoy
Skipper Ben McEvoy has played just one game this year, having suffered a neck injury at training in the lead-up to Round 3 that has left him in a brace since.
The Hawks skipper has been a swingman the last year or so, scaling back his ruck duties and instead spending time in both the key forward and defensive roles and at various stages through the season, the club has been missing key personnel in those parts of the ground.
Coach Sam Mitchell said this week that many of the statistical and performance benchmarks the Hawks are trying reach are more easily achieved with McEvoy on the park, so his return to the side will be eagerly-anticipated in the second half of the season.
The oldest player at the club is the captain for a reason.
Ash Browne
Christian Salem
Melbourne’s charmed injury run means there’s precious few players that are waiting to come back in the second half of the season, with selection largely centring on who is missing out on form rather than injury.
One name that the Dees will be looking forward to regaining is premiership player Christian Salem, who impressed in the side’s run to victory in 2021.
Salem has played just one game this year after suffering a knee cartilage issue back in Round 1 against the Bulldogs, with the club’s latest injury report stating he’ll make his return within the coming fortnight.
Salem’s ability to set Melbourne up from defence and slice up oppositions with his foot skills should not be underestimated – it’s those skills that will another dimension to an already impressive outfit.
Such is the competition for spots in the Dees side right now, Simon Goodwin will have the best kind of headache trying to fit Salem into his high-flying side.
Laurence Rosen
Aaron Hall
The obvious answer here for North Melbourne is Ben Cunnington, but given his personal circumstances, there’s no timeline on his return.
Meanwhile, Aaron Hall hasn’t played since Round 5 after suffering a hamstring injury, and remains a week or two away in his recovery.
Hall will give the Roos a steady hand across half-back, something they need given their early-season struggles.
He has found his niche over the last two years and started the season in hot form prior to the injury, and the Roos have missed his drive.
Nic Negrepontis
Charlie Dixon
Port Adelaide has desperately missed Charlie Dixon this year.
One of the competition's best power forwards on his day, Dixon’s absence has had a big impact on Port Adelaide’s disappointing start to the year.
The 31-year-old had been close to returning to the field after ankle surgery in February, but a setback has meant he’s yet to play senior footy in 2022.
The three-time club leading goalkicker kicked 48 goals for Port last year, one shy of equalling his career-best return. A hole the club has not been able to fill this year.
In his absence, Todd Marshall has had to shoulder the load alongside fellow inexperienced forward Mitch Georgiades, something the pair haven’t had to do much in their careers to date.
Dixon, who made his first appearance for the year in the SANFL last weekend, will bring plenty of much-needed grunt and power in attack to Ken Hinkley’s side.
Hugh Fitzpatrick
Dion Prestia
While Dion Prestia has already played five games this season, the Tigers will be praying for some continuity.
He most recently graced the field in Round 7 before missing last weekend’s win over Collingwood with illness.
So he doesn’t quite fit the exact brief of this article, but with the Tigers sporting a fairly clean bill of health, he is the one they want out there consistently.
Soft tissue injuries have plagued him in recent years and he just never seems to get a fair run at it.
When up and going, Prestia is one of Richmond’s most important players and a consistent contribution in the second half of the season could have a significant say in what his side ends up this year.
Andrew Slevison
Jack Billings and Hunter Clark
Separate hamstring injuries sidelined Jack Billings for the backend of last season and the start of 2022.
The 26-year-old, who hasn’t played since Round 20 last year, is closing in on an AFL return after a successful two weeks in the VFL.
Billings collected 23 touches, laid five tackles and kicked a goal in his first game for Sandringham and backed that up with a 26-disposal outing last Saturday.
His impending return will give the Saints a boost ahead of upcoming games against Geelong and Adelaide.
Another key Saint who has had an injury-interrupted start to the year is Hunter Clark.
Clark made his first appearance since a pre-season shoulder injury in the VFL last weekend, finishing with 26 touches playing mostly across half-back.
St Kilda coach Brett Ratten was asked about Clark and Billings after the club’s loss to Melbourne.
“Hunter looked a little scratchy. I thought Billings was pretty solid,” Ratten said.
“Our performance at VFL level was good again, which has been great, and it does put a few players under pressure.
“It’s good to see some of our blokes underneath really pushing and knocking at the door, so we will have those discussions.”
Alex Zaia
Tom Hickey
The Swans have definitely missed the services of Tom Hickey this year.
Injuring his medial ligament in Round 3 against the Western Bulldogs, Hickey remains out of the senior side with the club hopeful of a return soon.
He made his return via the VFL last week in Sydney's win over Werribee, meaning he isn't far away.
Hickey had a stellar 2021 season for the Swans, averaging 16 disposals and 24 hit-outs per game, assets they’d love in their side right now.
Following back-to-back losses, Sydney has been -33 in total hit-outs – far from ideal considering they play their home games at the SCG, a ground where centre clearances are crucial in the end result.
Hugh Fitzpatrick
Nic Naitanui
Nic Naitanui is one of several players on a lengthy West Coast injury list.
The veteran ruckman is sidelined long-term after sustaining a medial ligament injury in the Eagles’ win over Collingwood in Round 4.
Naitanui is someone that cannot be replaced – the Eagles were forced to play inexperienced tall Callum Jamieson in the ruck against Brisbane last time out.
West Coast coach Adam Simpson expects the three-time All-Australian to be back in the second half of the season.
“Fortunately, we’ve avoided the ACL, but he’ll be out for a while – we probably won’t see him until the second half of the season,” Simpson told Channel Seven after the win over the Magpies.
“Really disappointing for Nic and for all of us. We’ve got to find a way to keep working through it and keep working on that adversity piece, but disappointing for Nic.”
Premiership midfielder Dom Sheed (ankle) is still up to four weeks away, while no return date has been set for emerging forward Oscar Allen (foot).
Alex Zaia
Josh Bruce
There won’t be too many clubs more desperate to get a player back in 2022, than the Western Bulldogs with Josh Bruce.
Despite making the grand final last year, the Bulldogs’ forward line hasn’t been the same since Bruce tore his ACL against Essendon in Round 21.
With Josh Schache and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan failing to have a big impact inside 50, the Bulldogs are in desperate need of a marking forward to take the load off Aaron Naughton’s shoulders.
Bruce, who kicked 48 goals in 20 games last year, is eyeing off a return in four-to-five weeks, and Luke Beveridge will be hoping the 29-year-old’s inclusion can help fix the inconsistent team performances we’ve seen so far.
And with their star-studded midfield starting to find their feet in recent weeks, Bruce’s comeback, combined with Alex Keath’s impending return in defence, may bring the Doggies into the frame for a top-four spot as we approach the pointy end of the season.
Sam Watson