AFL Round 5 Team News: Injury Reports and Lineup Predictions

The 2026 AFL season continues with Gather Round, beginning on April 9, 2026, with a featured clash between Adelaide and Carlton at the Adelaide Oval. The opening match is highlighted by significant roster upheavals for Carlton, including the omission of a reigning club champion.

Carlton Selection Shake-up

Carlton has made a substantial selection decision by dropping midfielder George Hewett. This move is particularly notable as Hewett played every game during the previous season and had not missed a match since Round 18, 2024.

The Blues are introducing defender Nick Haynes for his first game of the 2026 season. Zac Williams and Hudson O’Keeffe have been selected for the side. However, Adam Saad has been overlooked once again.

Further changes to the Carlton lineup are necessitated by injuries and disciplinary actions. Jacob Weitering is out due to concussion, and Will Hayward is unavailable due to suspension.

Adelaide Team News

Adelaide enters the April 9 match with several key personnel changes. The Crows have selected Rory Laird, Isaac Cumming, Mitch Hinge, and Luke Nankervis to enter the lineup.

These inclusions replace Hugh Bond, Chayce Jones, and Reilly O’Brien, who have all been omitted from the squad. The team also faces a loss in the forward line, as key forward Darcy Fogarty will miss the game due to a back injury. Fogarty was previously withdrawn from the Round 4 match against Fremantle for the same reason.

Luke Pedlar is unavailable for the clash following a concussion.

Upcoming Gather Round Fixtures

Following the Thursday night opener, the Gather Round schedule continues with several matchups across the weekend. On April 10, 2026, Collingwood will face Fremantle at the Adelaide Oval at 7:40pm AEDT.

Collingwood will see the return of Nick Daicos and Scott Pendlebury, who have been cleared to return from calf and Achilles soreness injuries, respectively, after missing the previous week’s loss. Fremantle, meanwhile, has confirmed that Hayden Young and Michael Frederick will not return this week.

The rest of the Round 5 schedule includes the following fixtures:

• April 11: North Melbourne vs. Brisbane (12:35pm AEST)
• April 11: Essendon vs. Melbourne (1:15pm AEST)
• April 11: Sydney vs. Gold Coast (4:15pm AEST)
• April 11: Hawthorn vs. Bulldogs (7:35pm AEST)
• April 12: Geelong vs. West Coast (12:30pm AEST)
• April 12: Greater Western Sydney vs. Richmond (3:15pm AEST)
• April 12: Port Adelaide vs. St Kilda (7:15pm AEST)

League Trends and Analysis

Outside of the immediate team selections, analysts are monitoring the evolution of Melbourne under Steven King. Christian Joly of Champion Data has described the Dees as the fastest team we’ve ever seen following record-breaking changes implemented by King to revitalise the club in 2026.

For the opening match on April 9, betting odds from Pointsbet place Adelaide as the favorites at $1.14, with Carlton listed at $5.50. ESPN’s tip for the encounter is a Crows victory by 22 points.