Team Sheets

AFL Teams 2026: Round 7 (ANZAC Round)

Round 7 ANZAC Round, Thursday game squads have dropped!

by
Shags
April 22, 2026

Wednesday – Early news

It’s Round 7 – ANZAC Round. A special week on the calendar as we pay respect leading into the traditional ANZAC Day clash between Essendon and Collingwood at the MCG. Early News: A number of new debuts have been announced, headlined by much touted Sam Cumming (MID $326k) for the Tigers. Lachie Smith (RUC $230k) will cover Tim English for the Dogs, while the Swans unveil two debutants in Will Edwards (DEF $230k) and mature-age draftee Billy Cootee (MID $230k). There is still no timeline on Jordan Dawson as he deals with a family tragedy. Elijah Hollands (personal) will not play. Liam Reidy is likely to replace Marc Pittonet, with some coaches already carrying him at R3. Jordan Ridley has suffered a setback and will miss more time for the Bombers. Sean Darcy is in HIA protocols and also managing a calf injury, which could be a small green flag for Luke Jackson owners (although Mason Cox is still likely to share ruck duties, with a roughly 70:30 split last game). Gryan Miers is confirmed out longer, though it is still unclear if he will require knee surgery. Noah Anderson is a test following appendix surgery. Stephen Coniglio is set to return for GWS, which may shake up midfield roles. Darcy Moore and James Sicily have both received one-week suspensions. A big in for North with Tristan Xerri returning from suspension. Tim Taranto is in HIA protocols and expected to miss one week. Possibly the biggest DT news, Tom De Koning is listed as a test and could even play, which puts a dampener on grabbing Rowan Marshall as a value option. Tim English is now listed as 1-3 weeks. Marcus Bontempelli has owners sweating on a test this week, while Tom Liberatore is out with HIA protocols, opening up midfield opportunities for others such as Ryley Sanders.

Weather notes updated at Wed 22 Apr, 5:00pm AEST. Please check weather closer to game day.

Important times to remember

Thursday game teamsheets ~6:20pm AEDT Wednesday

Friday/Sat/Sun game teamsheets ~6:20pm AEDT Thursday

Sunday extended bench selection ~5:00pm AEDT Friday

GAME 1: Western Bulldogs vs Sydney Swans

Thursday April 23 – AEDT: 7:30pm Marvel Stadium, Melbourne ☀🌙

Notes: Clear conditions, ideal for football. Massive news with Isaac Heeney out (injured). We’ll need to monitor updates as more information comes out. Good news for Bontempelli owners, hes named and coaching staff are confident he will play. Three debuts this game with Lachlan Smith, William Edwards and Billy Cootee named, all worth keeping an eye on. Adam Treloar returns for the Dogs and, if he hits form, could emerge as a forward premium option.

	Western Bulldogs	Sydney Swans
INS	Ryan Gardner, Jedd Busslinger, Adam Treloar, Lachlan Smith, Josh Dolan	William Edwards, Dane Rampe, Billy Cootee
OUTS	Rory Lobb (Injured), James O’Donnell (Injured), Sam Darcy (Injured), Jordan Croft (Omitted), Tom Liberatore (Injured)	Joel Hamling (Omitted), Isaac Heeney (Injured), Corey Warner (Omitted)
NEW	Lachlan Smith	William Edwards, Billy Cootee