The Brisbane Lions' defensive stocks have reached crisis point with fringe fullback Darragh Joyce joining co-captain Harris Andrews as casualties from an epic win against Sydney.
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Veteran Ryan Lester, who stands at 192cm, could be Brisbane's tallest backman for the Lions' QClash with Gold Coast at People First Stadium on Saturday.
Joyce, who has played the last two games in place of the injured Jack Payne, has suffered a fractured jaw and will be sidelined indefinitely.
Andrews has been ruled out of taking on the Suns and lining up on star forward Ben King after being placed into concussion protocols.
The Lions are already missing Payne for another two-to-three weeks, while fellow key defenders Darcy Gardiner and Tom Doedee are sidelined with ACL injuries.
Running defender Keidean Coleman hurt his knee in the Lions' first game of the season and won't return until 2025.
Meanwhile, GWS could be boosted by the return of star defender Sam Taylor and vice-captain Stephen Coniglio for Saturday night's clash with Melbourne at the MCG.
But the versatile Isaac Cumming will miss up to six weeks after suffering a hamstring injury in the win against Gold Coast last Saturday.
At Geelong, midfielder Tanner Bruhn will almost certainly return for the Cats' clash with North Melbourne on Saturday after starring in the VFL last weekend.
It was his first match back after fracturing a wrist.
Teammate Tom Atkins (back) will need to pass a fitness test after being a late withdrawal from Geelong's defeat to the Western Bulldogs last Saturday night.
The Bulldogs could regain key defender Liam Jones for their trip to face ladder-leaders Sydney at the SCG.
Jones has missed the last two games with a knee injury but the Dogs are optimistic he can take on the Swans.
Adelaide midfielder Matt Crouch is pushing to make an unlikely return before the end of the season from a shoulder injury.
Crouch has been sidelined since round 13, with the Crows subsequently ruling him out for the year.
But the 29-year-old has responded well since surgery and is set to begin contact training this week.
Fremantle say captain Alex Pearce's return will be determined during the week after the key defender suffered a new fracture in his left forearm during the Dockers' demolition of Melbourne on Sunday.
The 29-year-old defender had already spent four weeks on the sidelines recovering from a fracture in the same bone suffered against the Suns in round 15.
Struggling Collingwood are set to regain forward Lachie Schultz from concussion for Sunday's game against lowly Richmond, but will lose tall Nathan Kreuger to a head knock sustained in the defeat to Hawthorn last Saturday.
Australian Associated Press
