WITH the 2018 season just one month away, it’s time to check in on your club’s players battling to prove their fitness ahead of Round 1.

Pre-season injury blows have been cruel to the likes of Carlton and Greater Western Sydney, who have already lost star players Sam Docherty and Zac Williams respectively.

There are also those still battling longer-term problems, with St Kilda youngster Nathan Freeman and West Coast ruckman Nic Naitanui still looking to return to action.

Here are the players at your club facing a race against time to be fit for Round 1.

Round 18

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ADELAIDE

Brodie Smith suffered an ACL injury in last year’s finals series and is currently in the midst of a long recovery. He’s likely to miss the majority of this season, though the rest of the news is relatively good for the Crows. Riley Knight has been dealing with an ankle injury, but Adelaide remains confident he will be fit to play Round 1.

BRISBANE

Sam Skinner is a long-term proposition for the Lions, having had a wretched history of ACL injuries. The youngster is unlikely to return until later in the season. Otherwise, the news is good for Brisbane. Mitch Robinson has returned from a foot problem, Allen Christensen is fully fit after a series of shoulder injuries and Tom Bell is back from an ankle injury. All three should be right to go for Round 1.

CARLTON

Sam Docherty will miss the entire 2018 season after doing his ACL in pre-season. It was a devastating blow for both the player and the club, with the defender named an All-Australian for the first time last year. Sam Rowe will also have a delayed start with an ACL injury, while new recruit Darcy Lang is battling an ankle injury. It’s unsure whether the former Geelong midfielder will be right to go come Round 1.

COLLINGWOOD

This pre-season couldn’t have gone much worse for Collingwood, who will have a host of stars in doubt for Round 1. Jamie Elliott has an ankle problem and looks unlikely to play, though the club won’t officially rule him out just yet. The same can be said for Levi Greenwood, who has a knee injury. Jeremy Howe was just about the side’s best player last year, but is genuinely touch-and-go for the season ahead with a calf injury. The news is slightly better for Darcy Moore, who has an achilles problem, and Alex Fasolo, who is battling a shoulder injury. They look more likely to play Round 1. Jordan De Goey is suspended following his latest indiscretion.

ESSENDON

Travis Colyer will miss the first part of the season, having battled a foot injury through the summer. It’s a similar situation for the injury-plagued Jayden Laverde, who is likely to spend a couple more months on the sidelines with a hamstring problem. Aaron Francis has been granted indefinite leave from the club, while young midfielder Kobe Mutch had shown promising signs in pre-season before undergoing knee surgery.

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FREMANTLE

Young ruckman Sean Darcy is battling to be fit for Round 1 following a calf injury suffered during the summer. He showed plenty in his few senior appearances last season, but may endure a delayed start to the upcoming campaign. Harley Bennell will definitely miss, having suffered another calf setback last week. The Dockers hope defender Alex Pearce will also be available for selection, having endured a horrible couple of years with injury.

GEELONG

There are doubts over the fitness of Lachie Henderson, who has had a couple of setbacks with a lingering knee injury throughout pre-season. The versatile key defender now looks unlikely to overcome his battle to be fit for Round 1. Scott Selwood had ankle surgery at the turn of the year and is also in doubt. Fortunately for the Cats, their trio of elite on-ballers have trained strongly throughout and look set to be unleashed against the Demons.

GOLD COAST

For the first time in a long time, Gold Coast heads into a season without many injury worries. There were high hopes for Harrison Wigg when he came across from Adelaide, only for the midfielder to suffer an ankle injury late last year. But he looks the only concern heading into the season proper.

GWS GIANTS

The Giants were devastated by the loss of Zac Williams to an achilles injury in pre-season, ruling the defender out for much of the 2018 campaign. It continued a sorry trend in terms of injury issues for Leon Cameron’s side, who battled with a host of problems last year. Toby Greene broke his toe just before the International Rules Series and is battling a race against time, while Rory Lobb also looks unlikely to play in Round 1 due to a groin problem. Defensive duo Matt Buntine and Adam Kennedy will certainly miss the start of the year due to knee injuries.

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HAWTHORN

Grant Birchall underwent knee surgery late last year and faced a delayed start to pre-season. The club remains unsure whether he will be fit to play in Round 1, but at the moment it looks rather unlikely. Cyril Rioli spent five weeks away from the club on compassionate leave over the summer, with the Hawks keen to stress that they won’t rush him back into full training upon his return. It’s not yet known whether he will take part in the JLT Series and subsequently whether he will be match fit by the time Round 1 arrives.

MELBOURNE

Co-captain Jack Viney is on track to play in Round 1, according to the Demons, as he battles back from a foot complaint. Meanwhile, fellow midfielder Dom Tyson (calf strain) is also on the road to recovery. Aaron vandenBerg missed the entire 2017 season and his heel is still an issue, while Jeff Garlett and Dean Kent won’t play in the first JLT Community Series game on Saturday.

NORTH MELBOURNE

Jy Simpkin will miss up to a month with an ankle injury after drunkenly stepping in front of a motorcycle in West Melbourne last weekend. Kyron Hayden (shoulder) and Declan Watson (knee) will also miss the start of the season while the Roos are hopeful former GWS midfielder Paul Ahern, who had two knee reconstructions in 2016, will make his AFL debut this season. The club will be patient with Pick 4 Luke Davies-Uniacke.

PORT ADELAIDE

Only defender Matthew Broadbent is providing the Power with a major injury concern, after he went in for his second dose of ankle surgery in five months. There is no immediate timeline for his return. Back in October his injury was diagnosed as an ankle syndesmosis strain — a phrase frequently heard in 2017. Jared Polec is in some doubt for Round 1 following a “significant” hamstring strain, with Chad Wingard and Lindsay Thomas also being bothered by their hamstrings but not to a level that is concerning Ken Hinkley.

RICHMOND

A minor hamstring injury will see Dion Prestia miss the reigning premiers’ first match of the JLT Community Series against Essendon. Prestia injured himself almost two weeks ago and is aiming to return for the second JLT game. Daniel Rioli will also miss the opening pre-season game after off-season foot surgery, with the club hopeful he will be available for Round 1. Shaun Hampson (back) won’t be available for the season opener, while Oleg Markov (shoulder) is also on the way back.

ST KILDA

Another year, another hamstring concern for Nathan Freeman, who is still yet to make his AFL debut. The wingman reported hamstring soreness after training late last week with surgery an option. The Saints are optimistic Jack Billings will be ready for Round 1 after he suffered a hamstring injury in an intra-club match in early February. David Armitage looks ready to go following groin issues last year while Josh Bruce and Jack Newnes both played in a match simulation on Wednesday after each having knee surgery in the off-season.

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SYDNEY

Star midfielder Dan Hannebery is “touch and go” for the start of the season, according to coach John Longmire, with the Swans set to be careful with Hannebery’s road to recovery from a calf injury. The luckless Alex Johnson went in for surgery just over a week ago, but for his groin and hip region rather than his troublesome knee. He won’t be ready until April. A number of players who had off-season surgery or modified pre-season programs will play in an intraclub practice match on Friday, including Lance Franklin, Josh Kennedy, Tom Papley and Sam Naismith.

WEST COAST

Worryingly for West Coast fans, this story has remained the same. The club insists Nic Naitanui will be ready to play against Fremantle in the final JLT Community Series match on March 11. However the word out of Perth earlier this week was that Naitanui has a lack of cartilage in his knee, with the ensuing bone-on-bone issue causing him soreness. If true, that could be a long-term issue for the franchise ruckman. His status for Round 1 is still unclear. Fellow superstar Josh Kennedy is also hoping to play in Round 1 following off-season ankle surgery. Eric Mackenzie (foot) is a fortnight away from returning to training while three young Eagles suffered injuries in AFLX. Jack Petrucelle (finger) will be restricted for a month while Willie Rioli (knee) and Matt Allen (hip) are closer.

WESTERN BULLDOGS

Given their last couple of years, the Western Bulldogs must be thrilled with their current injury list. Or lack thereof. Only Lin Jong, who had a knee reconstruction late June, is ruled out for Round 1. Running defender Roarke Smith missed all of 2017 with a knee injury suffered in the pre-season, but was back in action during AFLX, while Marcus Adams (foot) and Tim English (hip) have recovered from late-season surgery.