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Game 1: Hawks vs Swans |
Game 2: Crows vs Bulldogs |
Game 3: Tigers vs Suns |
Game 4: Giants vs Saints |
Game 5: Dockers vs Dees |
Game 6: Power vs Bombers |
Game 7: Eagles vs Roos
Thursday – Early news
More carnage with Todd Marshall ruled out after re-injuring his ankle (same ankle as Round 1), with the injury expected to keep him out for around one week. There are a new glut of debuts, with Oscar Steene (Ruck/Fwd $230k) set to debut for Collingwood, Jacob Farrow (Def/Mid $314k) to debut for Essendon after an impressive VFL performance (31 disposals at 93% efficiency), Ollie Hannaford (Fwd/Mid $230k) to debut for GWS on Friday night, and Tailor Byrne (Fwd/Mid $230k) named for his first game for Carlton after an impressive pre-season. Will Brodie is set for his Port Adelaide club debut and could be a handy mid-pricer option to consider. Collingwood will also regain Darcy Moore and Jeremy Howe, which could have some impact on Dan Houston’s role and scoring potential. Some key names still aren’t returning yet, with Hugh McCluggage to miss again with a calf injury and likely also Easter Thursday, while Nic Newman remains out despite being available after suspension and Adam Cerra will also miss again as Carlton manage his hamstring.
New Update: It’s just been announced that Josh Lai (Mid $230k) will make his AFL debut for Port Adelaide on Sunday.
Wednesday – Early news
Welcome to carnage round, it has arrived early this season. For a full injury list, check the official AFL injury list. We’ve already been hit with some major names going down – Connor Rozee could miss the rest of the season, Christian Petracca is sidelined 4-6 weeks with a hamstring, and Rory Laird is another premium defender out for a couple of weeks. It doesn’t stop there, with Miles Bergman also going down with an ankle injury (1-2 weeks). More bad news for Round 3 – Jordan Dawson is confirmed out for the Crows (see full report), and popular rookie Milan Murdock is sidelined with a hamstring injury (see injury update). A small positive – Dyson Sharp is listed as a test after his ankle concern last round.
Weather notes updated at Wed 18 Mar, 3:00pm AEDT. Please check weather closer to game day.
GAME 1: Geelong Cats vs Adelaide Crows
Thursday March 26 – GMHBA Stadium, Geelong 🌦🌫🧊🌙
Notes: ~10°C at bounce, cold, very windy and wet with rain expected throughout. Likely to heavily impact scoring and ball handling. As reported earlier, Jordan Dawson and Rory Laird are both out for Adelaide, which opens up some extra opportunity for other players. Josh Rachele looks like the immediate winner, named on-ball, while the omissions may also benefit a rookie like Brayden Cook in his role. Finnbarr Maley (FWD, $341k) could be a possible downgrade target, but more importantly his inclusion is a small red flag for Lachlan McAndrew owners, with the Crows potentially using the pair in tandem.
| Geelong Cats | Adelaide Crows | |
|---|---|---|
| INS | O. Wiltshire, O. Henry | H. Bond, Z. Taylor, L. Nankervis, F. Maley |
| OUTS | B. Close (Omitted), P. Dangerfield (Injured) | R. Laird (Injured), J. Dawson (Injured), T. Walker (Managed), C. Ah Chee (Injured) |
| NEW | – | F. Maley |
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| Backs | Connor O’Sullivan, Sam De Koning, Jack Henry |
| Half Backs | Zach Guthrie, Tom Stewart, Lawson Humphries |
| Centres | Mark Blicavs, Bailey Smith, Mark O’Connor |
| Half Forwards | Gryan Miers, Shaun Mannagh, Ollie Dempsey |
| Forwards | Jeremy Cameron, Shannon Neale, Jack Martin |
| Rucks | Mitch Edwards, Tom Atkins, Max Holmes |
| Interchange | Oisin Mullin, Jhye Clark, Tanner Bruhn, Oli Wiltshire, Oliver Henry |
| Emergencies | Jack Bowes, James Worpel, Mitch Knevitt |
| Backs | Nick Murray, Jordan Butts, Chayce Jones |
| Half Backs | Harry Bond, Josh Worrell, Wayne Milera |
| Centres | Brayden Cook, James Peatling, Isaac Cumming |
| Half Forwards | Izak Rankine, Alex Neal-Bullen, Ben Keays |
| Forwards | Zac Taylor, Riley Thilthorpe, Darcy Fogarty |
| Rucks | Lachlan McAndrew, Sam Berry, Josh Rachele |
| Interchange | Luke Nankervis, Finnbarr Maley, Luke Pedlar, Jake Soligo, Max Michalanney |
| Emergencies | Chris Edwards, Reilly O’Brien, Jordon Borlase |
GAME 2: Collingwood Magpies vs GWS Giants
Friday March 27 – Marvel Stadium, Melbourne 🏢🌙
Notes: ~13°C at bounce, indoor conditions so no weather impact expected. Oscar Steene (Ruck/Fwd $230k) will make his debut for Collingwood as a cashcow option to watch. The return of Darcy Moore and Jeremy Howe could impact Dan Houston’s role and scoring potential. Some might have Harry Rowston as a mid-price pod, but he has been dropped. Cashcow option Will Parker has as well, while James Leake (Def/Fwd $262k) gives us another cashcow option.
| Collingwood | GWS Giants | |
|---|---|---|
| INS | D. Moore, J. Howe, O. Steene | J. Leake, O. Hannaford |
| OUTS | W. Parker (Omitted), E. Allan (Omitted), J. Buller (Omitted) | J. Buckley (Injured), H. Rowston (Omitted) |
| NEW | O. Steene | O. Hannaford |
We’re keen for Steene! ??
22-year-old ruck Oscar Steene will make his AFL debut this Friday night at Marvel Stadium. The mobile 201cm tall was our number one ruck across 18 VFL games in 2025.
More: https://t.co/dq3S7O6QbI pic.twitter.com/gCimfshpzx
— Collingwood FC (@CollingwoodFC) March 25, 2026
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| Backs | Brayden Frampton, Darcy Moore, Brayden Maynard |
| Half Backs | Dan Houston, Jeremy Howe, Harry Perryman |
| Centre | Jack Crisp, Nick Daicos, Patrick Lipinski |
| Half Forwards | Lachie Schultz, Dan McStay, Beau McCreery |
| Forwards | Reef Steele, Tim Membrey, Jordan De Goey |
| Followers | Darcy Cameron, Scott Pendlebury, Ned Long |
| Interchange | Isaac Quaynor, Jamie Elliott, Josh Daicos, Oscar Steene, Steele Sidebottom |
| Emergencies | Will Parker, Ed Allan, Joe Buller |
| Backs | Harry Himmelberg, Connor Idun, Jake Laverde |
| Half Backs | Lachie Whitfield, Lachie Ash, Jacob Fonti |
| Centre | Riley Angwin, Callan Oliver, Harvey Thomas |
| Half Forwards | Patrick Gothard, Jake Riccardi, Xavier O’Halloran |
| Forwards | Jake Stringer, Jesse Hogan, Callum Brown |
| Followers | Kieren Briggs, Toby Greene, Finn Callaghan |
| Interchange | James Leake, Stephen Coniglio, Josh Delana, Ollie Hannaford, Max Gruzewski |
| Emergencies | Cooper Stone, Leek Aleer, Harry Rowston |
GAME 3: St Kilda Saints vs Brisbane Lions
Saturday March 28 – Marvel Stadium, Melbourne 🏢
Notes: ~19°C during the day, indoor conditions so weather won’t impact play. A big one here is Zane Zakostelsky has been omitted, who was many peoples ruck 3 cover for the likes of English and Grundy. Rookie Daniel Annable is out injured as well.
| St Kilda | Brisbane Lions | |
|---|---|---|
| INS | D. Howard, D. Butler | D. Gardiner, L. Morris, Z. Bailey |
| OUTS | A. Caminiti (Injured), H. Boxshall (Omitted) | Z. Zakostelsky (Omitted), D. Annable (Injured), J. Tunstill (Omitted) |
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| Backs | J. Silvagni, C. Wilkie, D. Howard |
| Half Backs | L. Stocker, B. Hill, N. Wanganeen-Milera |
| Centre | M. Windhager, M. Hall, D. Wilson |
| Half Forwards | H. Garcia, M. Wood, M. Owens |
| Forwards | J. Higgins, C. Sharman, R. Marshall |
| Followers | T. De Koning, S. Flanders, J. Sinclair |
| Interchange | D. Butler, J. Carroll, M. Phillipou, A. Tauru, L. Ryan |
| Emergencies | L. Collard, A. Hastie, H. Boxshall |
| Backs | K. Coleman, D. Gardiner, R. Lester |
| Half Backs | D. Wilmot, J. Fletcher, D. Zorko |
| Centre | B. Reville, W. Ashcroft, J. Berry |
| Half Forwards | C. Cameron, O. Allen, L. Ashcroft |
| Forwards | S. Draper, C. Rayner, T. Gallop |
| Followers | D. Fort, J. Dunkley, L. Neale |
| Interchange | K. Lohmann, L. McCarthy, L. Morris, Z. Bailey, N. Answerth |
| Emergencies | S. Marshall, Z. Zakostelsky, J. Tunstill |
GAME 4: Fremantle Dockers vs Richmond Tigers
Saturday March 28 – (Perth: 1:15pm) Optus Stadium, Perth ☁
Notes: ~20°C, very wet and windy conditions expected with a high chance of rain (15-50mm) and possible thunderstorms later in the day. Strong winds (up to 60 km/h) could significantly impact marking and ball use, making this a tough game for scoring. Weather update: conditions impacted by Cyclone Narelle. More info. Jaeger O’Meara returns as a mid-priced option always worth watching given his scoring potential. Jasper Alger (Fwd $230k) is another cheap cashcow option to add to the watchlist.
| Fremantle | Richmond | |
|---|---|---|
| INS | B. Cox, J. O’Meara | L. Trainor, J. Faull, J. Alger, C. Gray |
| OUTS | O. McDonald (Injured), N. O’Driscoll (Omitted) | N. Broad (Injured), J. Trezise (Omitted), T. Lynch (Injured), T. Nankervis (Injured) |
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| Backs | B. Cox, A. Pearce, H. Chapman |
| Half Backs | J. Clark, L. Ryan, K. Worner |
| Centre | J. O’Meara, A. Brayshaw, M. Johnson |
| Half Forwards | J. Amiss, P. Voss, S. Switkowski |
| Forwards | S. Bolton, J. Treacy, M. Reid |
| Followers | S. Darcy, L. Jackson, C. Serong |
| Interchange | C. Scerri, I. Dudley, N. Erasmus, C. Wagner, J. McVee |
| Emergencies | M. Cox, H. Davies, N. O’Driscoll |
| Backs | N. Balta, B. Miller, L. Trainor |
| Half Backs | S. Banks, J. Short, N. Vlastuin |
| Centre | H. Ralphsmith, J. Ross, T. Sonsie |
| Half Forwards | S. Campbell, S. Lalor, M. Rioli |
| Forwards | J. Faull, J. Alger, H. Armstrong |
| Followers | C. Gray, T. Taranto, D. Prestia |
| Interchange | M. Lefau, J. Hopper, S. Green, T. Brown, S. Grlj |
| Emergencies | J. Trezise, K. McAuliffe, L. Fawcett |
GAME 5: Essendon Bombers vs North Melbourne Kangaroos
Saturday March 28 – Marvel Stadium, Melbourne 🏢🌙
Notes: ~14°C at bounce, indoor conditions so no weather impact expected. Jacob Farrow (Def/Mid $314k) will make his debut and looks likely to slot into Essendon’s defence, potentially filling the role left by Mason Redman. As well as Farrow, cheap option Archer Day-Wicks comes in for the Dons, but they lose Kondogiannis and El Achkar. Wardlaw in for the Roos could reshuffle some midfield roles, while Calum Coleman-Jones (Ruck $230k) is another cheap option for ruck to keep an eye on. Is this a small red flag for Xerri?
| Essendon | North Melbourne | |
|---|---|---|
| INS | J. Farrow, J. Gresham, S. El-Hawli, A. Day-Wicks | A. Corr, G. Wardlaw, C. Coleman-Jones |
| OUTS | M. Redman (Injured), J. Nguyen (Omitted), M. Kondogiannis (Omitted), H. El Achkar (Omitted) | G. Logue (Injured), J. Konstanty (Omitted), J. Darling (Omitted) |
| NEW | J. Farrow | – |
See you at Marvel, Faz ??https://t.co/UNk2GjHqAH
— Essendon FC (@essendonfc) March 26, 2026
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| Backs | J. Prior, B. McKay, A. McGrath |
| Half Backs | A. Roberts, Z. Reid, J. Farrow |
| Centre | X. Duursma, J. Caldwell, B. Fiorini |
| Half Forwards | S. Durham, N. Caddy, D. Sharp |
| Forwards | I. Kako, P. Wright, K. Langford |
| Followers | L. Blakiston, D. Parish, Z. Merrett |
| Interchange | J. Gresham, A. Perkins, Z. Johnson, S. El-Hawli, A. Day-Wicks |
| Emergencies | A. May, M. Guelfi, J. Nguyen |
| Backs | L. McDonald, T. Pink, C. Comben |
| Half Backs | F. O’Sullivan, C. Daniel, T. Blamires |
| Centre | J. Simpkin, T. Powell, D. Stephens |
| Half Forwards | P. Curtis, C. Trembath, C. McKercher |
| Forwards | C. Zurhaar, N. Larkey, L. Dovaston |
| Followers | T. Xerri, L. Davies-Uniacke, H. Sheezel |
| Interchange | A. Corr, G. Wardlaw, Z. Duursma, C. Coleman-Jones, L. Parker |
| Emergencies | J. Darling, J. Konstanty, Z. Banch |
GAME 6: Port Adelaide Power vs West Coast Eagles
Sunday March 29 – Adelaide Oval Adelaide 🌤
Notes: ~23°C, warm with hazy sunshine and light winds. Ideal conditions for scoring. Make sure you check Sunday extended selections at ~5pm on Friday. A few extended bench selection possibilities with def cashcow Lindsey named back in but on the extended bench. No announcements for debuts for Zadow or Schoenberg so watch for extended bench selections. Visentini is named but if you are an owner, it looks like he’ll just be the emergency.
| Port Adelaide | West Coast | |
|---|---|---|
| INS | L. Jones, O. Wines, M. Zadow, W. Brodie, D. Visentini, J. Lai | J. Lindsay, R. Maric, M. Champion, S. Brock, H. Schoenberg |
| OUTS | T. Marshall (Injured), M. Bergman (Injured), C. Rozee (Injured) | H. Edwards (Injured), M. Murdock (Injured) |
| NEW | J. Lai, W. Brodie, M. Zadow* | H. Schoenberg* |
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| Backs | J. Burgoyne, E. Ratugolea, J. Mead |
| Half Backs | L. Jones, A. Aliir, K. Farrell |
| Centre | L. Evans, J. Horne-Francis, J. Wehr |
| Half Forwards | J. Lukosius, M. Georgiades, J. Berry |
| Forwards | D. Byrne-Jones, J. Whitlock, J. Richards |
| Followers | J. Sweet, Z. Butters, W. Drew |
| Extended Bench | C. Durdin, O. Wines, J. Watkins, E. Mackinlay, M. Zadow, W. Brodie, D. Visentini, J. Lai |
| Backs | L. Duggan, T. Young, B. Hough |
| Half Backs | B. Allan, R. Ginbey, L. Baker |
| Centre | W. Duursma, E. Yeo, T. McCarthy |
| Half Forwards | T. Kelly, J. Shanahan, H. Davis |
| Forwards | C. Duff-Tytler, J. Waterman, J. Cripps |
| Followers | M. Flynn, H. Reid, J. Graham |
| Extended Bench | J. Lindsay, A. Reid, R. Maric, M. Champion, D. Robertson, S. Brock, J. Newton, H. Schoenberg |
GAME 7: Carlton Blues vs Melbourne Demons
Sunday March 29 – MCG Melbourne 🌤
Notes: ~22°C, nice conditions with sunny periods and light winds. Very good conditions for footy. Make sure you check Sunday extended selections at ~5pm on Friday. No major changes except Byrne debut. Cooper Lord is out with an illness as a POD in some teams. Heath as a ruck cashcow is likely the emergency for Gawn.
| Carlton | Melbourne | |
|---|---|---|
| INS | T. Byrne, B. Acres, J. Boyd, F. Evans | T. McDonald, B. Laurie, M. Heath, P. Cross |
| OUTS | C. Lord (Illness) | D. Turner (Injured) |
| NEW | T. Byrne | M. Heath*, P. Cross* |
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| Backs | L. Young, J. Weitering, H. Dean |
| Half Backs | O. Hollands, M. McGovern, O. Florent |
| Centre | M. Carroll, P. Cripps, C. Chesser |
| Half Forwards | W. Hayward, E. Hollands, Z. Williams |
| Forwards | T. Byrne, H. McKay, B. Kemp |
| Followers | M. Pittonet, J. Smith, S. Walsh |
| Extended Bench | B. Acres, G. Hewett, H. O’Keeffe, B. Ainsworth, J. Boyd, L. Fogarty, F. Evans, L. Cowan |
| Backs | H. Petty, J. Lever, C. Jiath |
| Half Backs | B. Howes, T. McDonald, C. Salem |
| Centre | X. Lindsay, T. Sparrow, H. Langford |
| Half Forwards | K. Chandler, J. van Rooyen, H. Sharp |
| Forwards | B. Fritsch, B. Mihocek, K. Pickett |
| Followers | M. Gawn, C. Windsor, J. Steele |
| Extended Bench | K. Tholstrup, J. Culley, E. Langdon, B. Laurie, T. Rivers, M. Heath, L. Pickett, P. Cross |
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Petracca has been missing from the Melbourne line up all year (and beyond) ;-)
Well, that was really derpy by me. Fixed now. (Threw it up on the note last min without even thinking).