Nathan Kreuger, the forward, has made significant progress in recovering from a hamstring injury incurred during pre-season.
He has reached several crucial milestones in rehabilitation over the past few weeks. At 24 years old, he is projected to return to playing in the week of Round Five, provided he continues to meet specific speed targets, which are vital indicators in hamstring injury recovery.
Oscar Steene, the young ruck player, remains in the 12-stage concussion protocol following a facial injury sustained in a pre-season VFL practice match. He also suffered a facial fracture in the same incident, but has since been cleared of this injury.
The expected return of Harry DeMattia has been revised to be between Rounds Nine and Ten, as opposed to the initially estimated timeframe of Rounds Eight to Eleven. Following a follow-up consultation with the surgeon six weeks post-injury, the first-year Magpie no longer requires a hand brace and can now concentrate on his rehabilitation, which includes improving his ball handling skills.
Although the initial prognosis suggested a twelve-week recovery period for DeMattia, if he successfully completes ball handling and grip strength exercises over the next two weeks and resumes training thereafter, his total recovery time may be reduced to nine to ten weeks.
Tall player Josh Eyre has resumed running and is gradually increasing the intensity as he recuperates from his hamstring injury sustained in pre-season.
Having reached 75% of his usual speed, the 21-year-old is now focusing on intensifying his running regimen in the upcoming weeks, aiming for a comeback somewhere between Rounds Eight and Eleven.
Nathan Murphy continues to navigate his return to playing following a concussion, concentrating on rebuilding his confidence. The defender has managed to participate in some team training sessions along with his regular gym routines and running exercises.
Forward Dan McStay has advanced from conducting two running sessions per week to three as he progresses in his recovery from an ACL injury. At 28 years old, he is showing notable improvement in his gymnastic abilities and agility, particularly in his ability to change direction. His rehabilitation follows a criteria-based approach, meaning that upon meeting one benchmark, he proceeds to the next stage of recovery without a predetermined limit on his return to playing.