ESSENDON'S horror injury run saw it decimated throughout 2025, while Greater Western Sydney was able to rise despite often being without its best players.
The Bombers' woeful run with injuries was evident throughout the year, and led to the club appointing Mat Inness as head of high performance and medical at season's end, and David Regan as senior strength and conditioning coach.
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Using each club's top vote getters in the Sharp EIT Solutions AFLCA Champion Player of the Year Award, the Bombers had all of their top five feature together in just nine home and away games this year, the fewest of any club in the competition.
Only Andrew McGrath played every game as Zach Merrett (missed one game), Nic Martin (seven), Sam Durham (three) and Jye Caldwell (12) were all sidelined.
The Giants made the finals despite an indifferent injury run as Finn Callaghan, Tom Green, Toby Greene and Jesse Hogan all missed games this year, with Lachie Ash the only member of their top five to play all 23 home and away matches.
Carlton (Sam Walsh played just 14 games) and Port Adelaide (Zak Butters, Connor Rozee and Jason Horne-Francis all missed games) were also hit hard by injuries to key players.
The Western Bulldogs played 11 of their first 12 games without one of Marcus Bontempelli or Sam Darcy, with the latter hurt early in the former's first outing of the season, against St Kilda in round six.
By the time Bontempelli and Darcy were once again playing together – also against the Saints in round 14 – the Bulldogs were 6-6. They went 8-3 from then on but fell short of making September.
Minor premier Adelaide had its top five feature in 22 of 23 home and away games, with Izak Rankine's ban for a homophobic slur seeing him miss round 24 (and the finals).
Sydney also had its top five in Brodie Grundy, Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, Nick Blakey and James Jordon feature 22 times, but star Errol Gulden only polled 10 votes after returning from injury in round 15.
Home and away games played together by a club's top five coaches' votes getters
22: Adelaide, Sydney
21: Collingwood, St Kilda
20: Fremantle, Gold Coast, Hawthorn
19: Brisbane, North Melbourne, Richmond
15: Geelong
14: Melbourne
12: Western Bulldogs
11: Carlton, Port Adelaide, West Coast
10: Greater Western Sydney
9: Essendon
*ties for each club's top five were split by most 10-vote games, followed by most votes in a single game
Each club's top five in coaches' votes
Adelaide: Jordan Dawson, Riley Thilthorpe, Izak Rankine, Ben Keays, Jake Soligo
Brisbane: Hugh McCluggage, Lachie Neale, Josh Dunkley, Zac Bailey, Will Ashcroft
Carlton: George Hewett, Sam Walsh, Tom De Koning, Adam Cerra, Patrick Cripps
Collingwood: Nick Daicos, Josh Daicos, Steele Sidebottom, Darcy Cameron, Jamie Elliott
Essendon: Zach Merrett, Nic Martin, Sam Durham, Andrew McGrath, Jye Caldwell
Fremantle: Caleb Serong, Andrew Brayshaw, Luke Jackson, Jordan Clark, Josh Treacy
Geelong: Bailey Smith, Max Holmes, Jeremy Cameron, Patrick Dangerfield, Shaun Mannagh
Gold Coast: Noah Anderson, Matt Rowell, Touk Miller, Jarrod Witts, Ben King
Greater Western Sydney: Finn Callaghan, Tom Green, Toby Greene, Jesse Hogan, Lachie Ash
Hawthorn: Jai Newcombe, Dylan Moore, Jack Gunston, Josh Battle, Lloyd Meek
Melbourne: Max Gawn, Christian Petracca, Kysaiah Pickett, Jake Melksham, Jack Viney
North Melbourne: Tristan Xerri, Colby McKercher, Harry Sheezel, Luke Davies-Uniacke, Tom Powell
Port Adelaide: Zak Butters, Connor Rozee, Jason Horne-Francis, Mitch Georgiades, Esava Ratugolea
Richmond: Tim Taranto, Nick Vlastuin, Jacob Hopper, Toby Nankervis, Jack Ross
St Kilda: Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, Jack Sinclair, Callum Wilkie, Jack Macrae, Rowan Marshall
Sydney: Brodie Grundy, Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, James Jordon
West Coast: Liam Baker, Jack Graham, Harry Edwards, Brady Hough, Harley Reid
Western Bulldogs: Marcus Bontempelli, Ed Richards, Tom Liberatore, Sam Darcy, Aaron Naughton
