All 18 AFL clubs returned to action for the first time since Round 11 as the race for finals starts to heat up.
Collingwood are likely to be without John Noble and Beau McCreery for their highly anticipated clash with Essendon on Friday.
Richmond has provided the latest on Dustin Martin's back issue after it seized up on Sunday, putting him in doubt for their trip west.
Here's all the latest injury news across theย AFL...
Demon returns after 310 days on the sidelines
Melbourne forward Jake Melksham is set to make his long-awaited return to football after suffering an ACL injury on the eve of the 2023 finals.
Selwyn Griffith, the club's High-Performance Manager, made the exciting announcement to the group on Monday, highlighting the Demons' efforts over the past 10 months.
โWe all know he's been on a long journey back from the ACL injury,โ Griffith said.
โThe collaboration he's had with Staf (Greg Stafford) to work on his forward craft and then the work that he's been putting in at training.
โIt's not only been the last month in how he's attacked [his rehab], it's been the entire period and especially the last six to eight weeks, where he's pretty much been in and around full training.
โIt all means that he's finally here and will be available to play this weekend.
โIt's the exciting part of it, where we get to see him reap the rewards.โ
Fisher in race to be fit
North Melbourne defender Zac Fisher will need to prove his fitness throughout the week to be selected against Gold Coast.
Fisher was subbed out of the the Round 16 game with a foot issue.
"Zac had an incident where he twisted his foot in the second quarter," North Melbourne head of performance Kevin White told NMFC Media.
"He presented with a midfoot sprain which was sore Sunday but is steadily progressing, so we'll assess his function at the back end of the week to determine his availability."
Pies lose two but gain one whilst doubt over pair
Collingwood will be without John Noble (concussion) and Beau McCreery (calf) for Friday's clash with Essendon but will regain Lachie Schultz (illness).
McCreery is expected to "spend some time on the sidelines", with a timeline of four to six weeks while Noble has entered concussion protocols.
Important pair Josh Daicos (calf) and Brayden Maynard (quad) will also be monitored this week as the duo pulled up proppy during the loss to Gold Coast.
Both will need to get through Wednesday's main training session to be deemed available for Round 17.
Carlton breathe sigh of relief following utility's scans
The Blues can count themselves lucky as scans revealed no damage to Matt Kennedy's knee.
The former Giant could potentially line up this weekend against his former club but could be rested given their depth and returning stars.
Small forward Corey Durdin dislocated his shoulder in the VFL and will be unavailable this week.
As for ruckman Tom De Koning, coach Michael Voss believes he is in the frame to return against the Giants after being managed.
De Koning was a late withdrawal with general soreness and was replaced by Marc Pittonet.
Wingman Matthew Cottrell is also aiming to put his hand up for selection.
Jack Martin's return will likely be in a fortnight.
Power forward cleared, key defender ruled out
Port Adelaide will be without key defender Esava Ratugolea following a hamstring strain during last Thursday's training sessions.
Todd Marshall, despite being subbed out, was cleared of any damage by scans and is expected to be available.
Small forward Willie Rioli has recovered from illness while Jase Burgoyne is a test for the Bulldogs clash.
Defender Lachie Jones suffered a mild sprain of the lateral ligament in his knee and will be assessed throughout the week but is unlikely to play.
Cats pair no closer to return, forward available
Veteran midfielder Cam Guthrie's return isn't clear as the club will assess his achilles to find some clarity.
Assistant General Manager of Football Brett Johnson said: "Cam is getting assessed again today and looking forward to hopefully return soon.โ
Young ruckman Toby Conway will also miss multiple weeks with a foot issue that requires more "investigating".
"Unfortunately, Toby has got a foot issue that we are still looking at and investigating.
โWe will know more later this week and will provide an update then, for what that means this week and beyond."
In good news, Ollie Henry is set to return to the senior side after missing the win against Essendon.
Gold Coast ruckman to miss following gruesome Pies battle
Suns co-captain Jarrod Witts has been ruled out Round 17's clash with North Melbourne after scans revealed a fractured vertebrae in the win against Collingwood.
โJarrod received a knee to the back during a marking contest midway through the last quarter against Collingwood,โ GC SUNS Head Physiotherapist Lindsay Bull said.
โHe went for scans on Monday and the results show a small fracture in his back. He will miss this week's match and be assessed next week before determining a return to play.โ
Small forward Malcolm Rosas Jnr has been deemed available for selection while Lachie Weller is a fortnight away, returning from an ACL injury last year.
Sydney veteran downed in loss
Swans stalwart Harry Cunningham will be out for the next fortnight as scans revealed a small hamstring injury from the Fremantle loss.
"It's unfortunate. He's been such a terrific player for this football club for a long time playing multiple roles," coach John Longmire said.
"He's a real stalwart, really experienced. He's got great speed, great game knowledge. He'll get there."
Captain Callum Mills is also a week away while veteran Luke Parker will return to football the same time following his six-week suspension.
Giant blow as Kelly calf sidelines star again
GWS will be without Josh Kelly once again due to a calf injury that will likely sideline him for at least four weeks.
Kelly injured the opposite calf that rubbed him out from Rounds 10 to 13 in a frustrating season for the left-footer.
All-Australian defender Sam Taylor is targeting a return within the next month after beginning to run from his testicular injury.
Veteran Nick Haynes could be available for selection after overcoming a hamstring injury, pending he gets through the week's training.
Lions season over, key defender set to return
Brisbane has fallen victim to another anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, with young ruckman Kalin Lane ruled out for the remainder of the season.
Scans on Monday confirmed the injury sustained in the VFL, with club GM Danny Daly expressing his heartbreak.
โEveryone at the Club is devastated for Kalin and we will make sure we all support him in anyway we can as he begins his recovery,โ Daly said.
โKalin and our VFL team are having a strong season and it's disappointing to see him miss the remainder of the year.โ
However, key defender Jack Payne looks set to be available for Round 17's clash with Adelaide after overcoming some foot soreness.
Payne missed last weekend's game but trained on Tuesday unhampered.
Crows wingman set to fly
Adelaide's Chayce Jones is expected to be available for selection after overcoming a back injury.
Jones missed the win against the Giants after being a late withdrawal but will put his hand up for selection in Round 17, pending he gets through the week's training.
โChayce completed the captain's run so we thought all was fine, but he just felt something in his back wasn't quite right, it seized up a little bit and didn't improve overnight so we took a no-risk approach,โ High-Performance Manager Darren Burgess said.
โHe trained fully today (Tuesday) so we expect him to be available this week.โ
Fremantle to welcome key duo, skipper surprisingly close
The Dockers are hopeful that Brennan Cox and Michael Walters will put their hand up for senior selection for Saturday's clash with Richmond.
Cox has spent the past fortnight with WAFL-affiliate Peel Thunder in a bid to return from a hamstring injury and bolster the defence without captain Alex Pearce.
โ(Cox) completed the game at Peel (last week) and he's got to get through this week of training to be available for selection in the AFL,โ Fremantle High-Performance Manager Phil Merriman said.
โ(Walters) progressed really well through his hamstring rehab.
โ(He has to) get through this week, and he will be available for selection.โ
As for Pearce, the Dockers camp believe he can return within two weeks as the club nears a healthy list.
Alex Pearce has his cast off, return in 1-2 weeks.@freodockers High Perf. Mgr Phil Merriman:
โHeโs doing everything in his power to get back as soon as possible, but weโre looking at one to two weeks.
Brennan Cox and Michael Walters likely available for AFL selection.
— Ryan Daniels (@FootyRhino) July 2, 2024
Richmond provide latest on Dusty, MSD recruit sidelined
Richmond have confirmed veteran Dustin Martin will be monitored further this week before making a call on the Brownlow Medal winner's playing prospects for Round 17.
Martin hurt his back and was subsequently subbed out of Sunday's loss to Carlton after it 'seized up' in the third quarter.
The club has confirmed a call is yet to be made on whether he is available for this week's trip to face Fremantle, with a decision to come later in the week.
Richmond won't regain midfielder Dion Prestia (calf) for Saturday's clash at Optus Stadium, while Samson Ryan (ankle) and Jacob Bauer (ribs) are also another week away.
Meanwhile, Mid-Season Draft recruit Campbell Gray has been sidelined for eight weeks after suffering a hamstring injury in the VFL over the weekend.
Gray, who had kicked four goals against Carlton's reserves prior to the injury, will just about rule out the young forward for the remainder of the season unless the Tigers' VFL unit makes a strong finals run.
Hawthorn skipper in the mix for Cats clash
Hawks defender James Sicily has reportedly avoided surgery after hurting his shoulder in Sunday's win over West Coast.
Sicily seemingly dislocated his shoulder in an aerial contest in the third term of the Round 16 match and did not return to the match.
Following scans on the hampered arm, Sicily has been cleared of serious damage to his shoulder and will be a test for this week's trip to Kardinia Park, perย 7 News' Mitch Cleary.
Sicily underwent a light session on Tuesday and will need to prove his fitness closer to the weekend.
Hawthorn skipper James Sicily has escaped serious damage to his shoulder and will be a test before Saturdayโs trip to Geelong.
Had a light session today @7NewsMelbourne— Mitch Cleary (@cleary_mitch) July 2, 2024
Veteran Dog a test for Power clash
Western Bulldogs defender Taylor Duryea remains a test for Saturday's clash with Port Adelaide after being subbed out of the match against North Melbourne with foot soreness.
Despite scans revealing no major damage, Head of Sports Medicine Chris Bell said Duryea will be monitored throughout the week.
"In the second quarter of the AFL game, Taylor Duryea was involved in a contest where his foot was caught in the ground and twisted,โ Bell said.
โHe was able to continue playing into the third, but due to his foot having some persistent symptoms, we made a conservative call and substituted him out of the game.
โScans have since cleared him of any serious structural damage.
โWe will work through a process with Taylor this week to determine his availability this weekend.โ
Alex Keath and Jason Johannisen remain a fortnight away with hamstring injuries.
