Swan, who sustained a broken fibula, broken foot and a ruptured Lisfranc ligament last Saturday night when Sydney's Zak Jones fell on him in a marking contest, is expected to miss the entire season. Hodge will miss at least a month after breaking an arm in a collision with Geelong's Mitch Duncan. Sidelined: Nathan Vardy competing against St Kilda's Jason Holmes. Credit:AFL Media/Getty Images Those setbacks compounded opening losses by the Magpies and Hawks. Collingwood was on the end of another setback on Wednesday with the news ruckman Jarrod Witts would miss Friday night's game with split webbing in his hand, and the Pies are also without Steele Sidebottom, who is suspended for the next two games. But it seems barely any side popularly tipped as a contender for finals in 2016 escaped their first game of the season without some sort of injury setback. Sydney's spirits after their crushing win over Collingwood at the SCG last Saturday night were dampened by the news that newly recruited key defender Michael Talia is out for at least eight weeks with a foot injury.

West Coast will have to make do without experienced running defender Xavier Ellis for the next six weeks after he tore an Achilles tendon in the Eagles' win over Brisbane last Sunday. And North Melbourne has also lost a recruit after just one game, speedster Jed Anderson out for at least two months after a bad hamstring tear. Port's Matt White (right) joins teammate Matthew Broadbent in tackling Cameron Pederson of the Demons. White later tore a pectoral muscle and will miss at least half the season. Credit:Getty Images Talia, whom Sydney recruited as a long-term replacement for veteran key defenders Heath Grundy and Ted Richards has, like Swan, torn his Lisfranc ligament. That will mean an automatic recall for Richards for the Swans' game against Carlton on Sunday, despite the 33-year-old having only had one serious hit-out since last year, a NEAFL practice match last weekend, after having been plagued by soft tissue injuries during the pre-season. Port Adelaide's White will not return until at least round 14 after completely tearing his right pectoral muscle in the Power's win over St Kilda last Sunday. Club high performance manager Darren Burgess said on Wednesday that White would require surgery followed by six weeks in a sling. Port will consider whether to add White to their long-term injury list, which would enable another rookie to be elevated to the senior playing group. Geelong, meanwhile, will be sticking with the tandem of Zac Smith and Rhys Stanley in the ruck and up forward after the news about the injury-plagued Vardy, who strained foot ligaments in the Cats' VFL practice match against North Ballarat last Saturday.

Vardy won't have surgery after the setback, which happened when an opponent fell across his foot in a marking contest. Geelong football manager Steve Hocking described the incident as "unlucky". "The good news is that there is no surgery required and we expect this injury to heal over the next month," Hocking said. The hugely talented and mobile tall has been cursed by injury for most of his career, which has spanned six seasons but comprised only 24 games. Vardy returned to the game late last season after missing 18 months with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.