Geelong could be bolstered by the return of Bailey Smith against Brisbane after he was a late out in Round 2.
Richmond could unearth another debutant while the Power's tall stocks take a massive hit.
Here's the latest on the injury front across the AFL landscape...
Dockers pair just "a week away" from return
Greatly missed Fremantle stars Hayden Young and Sean Darcy are just a week away from making their returns after suffering respective hamstring and ankle injuries.
Young suffered a low-grade tear in the pre-season in a shattering blow for the Dockers' midfield, with his absence an evident loss as Fremantle fall to an 0-2 start to the season.
Darcy went under the knife for ankle surgery in pre-season too after a trip to Doha, Qatar, where he formed a preventative plan and strengthened his rehabilitation program.
โ(Darcy) will be out on Thursday for full training, with the plan to be playing footy next week," Fremantle High Performance Manager Phil Merriman said.
โIt's (Young's hamstring) going really well.
โAgain, he will be available to play footy next week.
โHe will just be re-loading and it will be a full footy week next week.โ
Brandon Walker is consulting with specialists after dislocating his shoulder against Sydney, with a recovery timeframe still unconfirmed.
โIt's really unfortunate for Walker - he's obviously had a dislocation of that shoulder,โ Merriman said.
โWe're just going through the process of seeing specialists and reviewing the scans."
Young Saint in line for season debut, star still sidelined
Cooper Sharman is a test to play as he nears full recovery from pre-season thumb surgery.
The 24-year-old went through training unscathed on Tuesday but will need to once again complete main training on Thursday before being a potential addition to St Kilda's side against Richmond.
Liam Stocker will miss Round 3 with concussion protocols after his spirited tackle against Geelong, while Max King and Dan Butler still remain 1-2 weeks away.
Six Blues named as tests
In welcome news for Carlton fans, six Blues could make their returns this week after being named as tests to play.
Harry McKay should return to the line-up on Friday night after battling illness and being withdrawn from Round 2's Hawthorn clash, while Matt Carroll and Corey Durdin's ankle injuries have both almost been overcome.
Harry O'Farrell (concussion) Rob Monahan (groin) Hudson O'Keeffe (hamstring) are the other three set to return to VFL or AFL action.
Star Lions duo set sights on selection
Charlie Cameron (calf tightness) and Kai Lohmann (ankle) could make their returns in a critical Round 3 clash against Geelong, named as tests to play.
Both trained well on Tuesday and have Thursday's main training session to get through before a selection call-up.
Youngster Luke Lloyd is also available for selection but may have to wait another week as the VFL side have a bye.
Essendon defender, midfielder to return
Essendon backman Jordan Ridley will return from a concussion sustained in Round 1 this week, in what is a welcome inclusion to the Bombers' Round 3 lineup.
Will Setterfield (groin) is also in line to return to the best 22.
Darcy Parish and Jayden Laverde are on track to play in the VFL this week after progressing through back and hip related injuries during the pre-season.
Elijah Tsatas (broken hand) and Archie Perkins (quad) are ruled out for Thursday night, but are both pressing for Gather Round returns.
Crows wingman available for selection
Adelaide winger Chayce Jones has successfully completed match simulation training on Saturday after healing from a shoulder injury.
Adelaide high performance manager Darren Burgess said the former Pick 9 will be available for selection this week.
โChayce got through a match simulation scenario on Saturday morning for those who didn't play in the AFL on the weekend,โ Burgess said.
โHe got through successfully so will be available for selection this weekend.โ
Giant boost as duo tipped to return
GWS could see Jesse Hogan and recruit Jake Stringer play their first games of the 2025 season.
Hogan has been out with a broken thumb following a freak accident while Stringer has been tending to a hamstring issue.
Ruckman Kieran Briggs is expected to return after overcoming concussion protocols.
Ryan Angwin (ankle) and Josh Fahey (foot) continue to progress in their respective rehabilitation.
Youngster Oliver Hannaford's debut will need to wait as he underwent surgery on a broken wrist.
Suns youngsters pressing for selection
Mac Andrew and Sam Flanders will need to do everything to be given the green light ahead of Gold Coast's Round 3 clash against Melbourne.
The pair were absent from the season-opening win against West Coast, but are in the frame for Saturday's contest, pending they tick all the boxes.
Andrew has been tending to a chest injury he sustained in the pre-season while Flanders' back has prevented him from featuring in the senior side.
Geelong gun avoids serious injury
Geelong can breathe a sigh of relief as Tom Stewart's knee injury isn't as serious as first thought.
Stewart was subbed out of the Cats' Round 2 loss to St Kilda after landing on the Marvel Stadium turf and hurting his knee, with the vice-captain requiring assistance when coming from the field.
The Cats co-captain was sent for scans, and although no serious damage showed, he remains in a long shot to face Brisbane in Round 3.
"In positive news, scans on Monday morning have ruled out any serious injury to Tom's right knee," Cats football boss Andrew Mackie said in a club update.
"With two training sessions remaining before we head to Brisbane, Tom will be closely monitored throughout the week and will be a test to play against the Lions on Saturday night."
Bailey Smith could also bolster the Cats' line-up after he was a late out against the Saints with a calf issue.
Power out as prized recruit sidelined
Port Adelaide forward Jack Lukosius will be sidelined for an extended period after injuring his knee early in Saturday's game against Richmond.
The recruit was subbed out after colliding with a player in a contest, with scans on Sunday confirming a fractured kneecap. Lukosius will undergo surgery in the coming days, with a timeline for return to become clearer soon.
Defenders Ryan Burton and Lachie Jones will also miss this week's clash against Essendon given the quick turnaround.
Forward-ruck Ollie Lord could come into consideration but will need to be cleared of any serious shoulder injury after scans revealed an "acute injury".
Unlucky Dog suffers cruel setback
With his third calf injury in four months, Adam Treloar's road to return has hit yet another snag.
Treloar sustained respective calf injuries to his left and right leg in December and January, and is a part of an extensive injury list at the Kennel.
Bulldogs Head of Sports Medicine, Chris Bell said the setback will delay his return date.
"Adam has been building the continuity in his training across the last six weeks following an injury-interrupted December and January period," Bell said.
"Unfortunately, Adam has suffered some calf symptoms following Friday's training session.
"This will delay his return-to-play plan, with the Club to confirm his new timeline in coming days."
In more positive news, key defenders Liam Jones (hamstring) and James O'Donnell (jaw) are expected to be available for selection.
Tiger cub, small forward a chance
Richmond could unveil its fifth debutant in 2025 as Josh Smillie looks to press his case for a first AFL match.
Smillie has been building his load up from a hamstring injury during the pre-season but is in a "great position".
"Smillie has done a great body of work over the last few weeks and he's training quite well," High-Performance Manager Ben Serpell said.
"He will be a test on the back end of the week, but make no mistake if we don't think he is ready to go, we will look after him a little bit more."
Maurice Rioli Jnr is likely to come into the selection mix while Sam Banks will miss Round 3 through concussion.
Bomber blow as young duo cop injury whack
Essendon are expected to be without young pair Elijah Tsatas and Archie Perkins for Thursday's clash with Port Adelaide due to injury.
Scans confirmed Tsatas broke his metacarpal during the pre-game warm-up of the Dons' defeat to Adelaide on Saturday, while Perkins sustained a minor quad strain during the second half.
Tsatas had surgery on his finger and Perkins will begin his rehab.
The pair could return after the club's bye, eyeing Gather Round against Melbourne.
Lions won't rush premiership defender
The Brisbane Lions are in no rush to bring back concussed defender Brandon Starcevich, who is "up and about" despite dealing with a second concussion in a month, and third in just over half a year.
It appears Starcevich will not exit concussion protocols immediately after the minimum 12-day period concludes, as Fagan assured the Lions will be cautious with Starcevich's return due to the severe implications of repeat concussions.
"Yeah, I think (Starcevich's recovery timeline is undetermined)," Fagan said.
"I think the club's just doing a range of tests and things done so that hopefully we can clear the decks on where he's at, and when the time's right he'll hopefully play again.
"We're optimistic, but got to tick all the boxes first. And that's not the AFL telling us to do that, it's us, because it's pretty important."
Pie down for 2025
Collingwood youngster Reef McInnes has suffered a major blow after being transformed into a defender for the 2025 campaign.
Early in the victory against the Western Bulldogs, McInnes came from the ground immediately after landing awkwardly from a marking contest.
The youngster clutched at his knee, and after follow-up scans, the worst fears were realised, with the results revealing an ACL tear.
