Six more AFL clubs will take to the field on Friday for their first competitive match simulations of the 2024 pre-season.
The Western Bulldogs host Hawthorn at Whitten Oval in the morning before St Kilda and Essendon take over RSEA Park at 2:00pm AEDT. A Showdown between the Crows and Power rounds out the day at Alberton Oval.
With the 2024 season now three weeks or less away for every AFL club, preparations are ramping up.
Luke Beveridge’s Bulldogs will have almost a full squad to pick from, although Jack Macrae and Bailey Smith are both unavailable. But Hawthorn’s injury crisis looms as the worst across the league, with Will McCabe the latest to go down.
A lower back concern revealed on Thursday has ruled him out for the next three months, a tough blow for the 19th pick in the 2023 national draft.
He joins the likes of Luke Breust, Chad Wingard, Dylan Moore, Changkuoth Jiath, Karl Amon and more who are battling their own injury concerns and won’t play on Friday.
As expected, the Saints haven’t named Jack Sinclair, Hunter Clark, Paddy Dow or Ben Paton following their injury update earlier this week.
Brad Crouch also has a knee concern. Essendon has injury woes of its own, with Jordan Ridley, Peter Wright, Ben Hobbs and exciting draftee Nate Caddy all unavailable with “minor injury concerns”.
Meanwhile, Todd Marshall will miss for Port Adelaide given he’s battling a bruised foot. Willem Drew (shoulder) and Quinton Narkle (back) similarly won’t take on Adelaide, who are missing several names of their own.
Jordan Butts joins fellow key defender Nick Murray on the sidelines, with Rory Sloane, Wayne Milera and Jake Soligo also to miss.
All clubs will play a second televised practice match next week before the inaugural Opening Round takes place.
