AFL Round 15: Key Injury Updates and Team Selection News

AFL teams face critical decisions ahead of Round 15, with several key players sidelined due to injury and suspension. Coaches are scrambling to adjust lineups, impacting the upcoming games and the overall season standings.

Carlton Blues Face Mounting Injury Concerns

The Carlton Football Club is dealing with a series of setbacks. Sam Walsh is out for at least six weeks due to a foot issue. Charlie Curnow suffered a calf problem, and Hudson O’Keeffe has a hamstring injury. Harry McKay is still recovering from a knee injury. The Blues might need to call on key position reinforcements for the quick turnaround against North Melbourne.

St Kilda’s Max King Suffers Further Setback

St Kilda is also grappling with injury woes, particularly with Max King. The star forward has experienced another knee injury, extending his time on the sidelines. Dan Butler, Zak Jones, and Ryan Byrnes had low performance ratings in the recent loss. Alix Tauru is set to make his AFL debut after strong VFL performance.

“He (had) been progressing really well — we were planning a Round 17 or 18 return — he was in a really good headspace. Then, he just had a grab in the knee decelerating from a run-through, so not dissimilar to what he felt before. We thought we’d got to the root cause, but clearly, we need to go and do more investigation … we’ve been able to condition him, but we need to get to the root cause. It’s not (about) six weeks, it’s about (getting him right for) six years. He’ll go and do some scans under load, because it seems to be a mechanical issue … but the surgeons haven’t been able to identify anything else structurally. Clearly, when moving under load in a certain mechanism, there’s something grabbing — and they need to figure that out.”

—Ross Lyon, St Kilda Coach

The AFL injury list shows a 15% increase in hamstring injuries across the league compared to the same point last year, highlighting the physical demands on players (AFL News 2025).

Other Teams and Key Matchups

The Geelong Cats face Brisbane Lions. The only setback is an AC joint injury to Sam De Koning. For Brisbane, Jack Payne’s season is likely over due to a ruptured patella tendon.

Fremantle is facing Essendon, with Sam Switkowski out with a hamstring injury, while Alex Pearce remains unavailable. Port Adelaide will play Sydney Swans, and two key players, Aliir Aliir and Jason Horne-Francis, require scans. The Sydney Swans are expecting returns from Joel Amartey and Matt Roberts.

The GWS Giants take on the Gold Coast Suns, with Toby Greene expected to return from a glute injury. The Western Bulldogs play Richmond, with potential changes due to performance and recent injury returns.

Collingwood is set to welcome back Brayden Maynard after the bye. The team will likely play its best possible lineup.

Looking Ahead

As the season progresses, team selections and injury management will significantly influence each club’s performance. The ability to adapt and utilize available talent will be critical in the race for finals.