Carlton has dropped Ashton Moir and Liam Reidy and will be without Adam Saad after a hamstring strain, while Richmond has confirmed the debut of 2025 pick eight Sam Grlj in its first 22—an early sign of selection momentum among afl teams ahead of the weekend. These moves point to a compact selection window where injury and fresh draftees are already reshaping final lineups for Round 1.
Carlton selection changes: Moir and Reidy omitted, Saad injured
Carlton confirmed Ashton Moir and Liam Reidy were omitted from its list after the Opening Round loss to Sydney, and Adam Saad is out with a hamstring strain suffered in that match. Lachie Cowan and Matt Carroll have been named to return to the senior side after successful hitouts in a VFL practice match, and Hudson O’Keeffe is preferred to Reidy as the second ruck. The club also named Z. Williams, C. Lord, E. Hollands and M. Carroll on the interchange while listing A. Saad as injured and both A. Moir and L. Reidy as omitted in its published Round 1 notes.
Richmond and Afl Teams: Grlj debut, Balta return, Vlastuin unavailable
Richmond confirmed Sam Grlj will make his AFL debut after being selected with pick eight in the 2025 AFL Draft, and the club said Grlj was told of his first game on Wednesday morning. Noah Balta is named after overcoming a minor hamstring complaint, while Nick Vlastuin is unavailable after a limited pre-season due to ankle issues. Richmond published a full Round 1 team that places Grlj on the half-back line and lists James Trezise, Josh Gibcus, Jacob Hopper, Steely Green and Campbell Gray on the interchange, with Luke Trainor, Tyler Sonsie and Tom Brown as emergencies.
Scenarios for Round 1 lineups and what follows
If current selection patterns continue… Richmond’s immediate direction suggests the Tigers will present a back six featuring Noah Balta alongside Ben Miller, Nathan Broad, Sam Banks, Sam Grlj and Jayden Short, with Toby Nankervis firm in the ruck and Tim Taranto and Jack Ross as followers. That alignment is grounded in the Tigers’ published Round 1 list and the club statement that Grlj will line up on the half-back line.
Should Carlton’s injury and omission issues persist… Carlton appears set to lean on its VFL returns and prefer Hudson O’Keeffe as second ruck rather than the newly added L. Reidy, a move directly cited in the club’s Round 1 notes. Continued absence of Adam Saad because of his hamstring strain would force Carlton to keep making structural changes to its midfield and defensive balance across forthcoming afl teams selections.
Based on context data:
- Richmond named Sam Grlj as a debutant and confirmed Noah Balta will play after a hamstring complaint.
- Carlton listed A. Saad as injured and omitted A. Moir and L. Reidy from its Round 1 squad.
- Richmond’s Round 1 match at the MCG is scheduled for 7. 30pm (AEDT) — 3: 30 am ET.
- The rest of the Round 1 teams will be announced at 6: 20pm on Thursday.
For now, those are the concrete changes that shape early selection narratives across afl teams: debutants trusted from the draft, returns from VFL hitouts and immediate roster shuffles prompted by injury.
The next confirmed milestone from the context is the announcement of the remaining Round 1 teams at 6: 20pm on Thursday. What the context does not resolve is how the other 16 clubs will balance debutants and last-minute fitness changes; that will be settled when those teams are published at 6: 20pm on Thursday. Expect the team lists released then to either reinforce the patterns seen in Carlton and Richmond or to present contrasting selection approaches across the competition.
