Just when the injury crisis appeared unlikely to inflict any more carnage, it struck once more against Richmond on Sunday afternoon with Tom Nicholls, Charlie Dixon and Jack Martin all suffering injuries.
 
Key forward Dixon has endured persistent ankle issues throughout 2015 and once again re-aggravated his troublesome right ankle after landing awkwardly in an aerial contest halfway through the second quarter.
 
“Charlie Dixon hasn’t had a whole heap of luck with his ankles of late. He re-rolled his right ankle again in the second quarter,” GC SUNS head physiotherapist Adam Russell told SUNS TV on Tuesday afternoon.
 
“He managed to nearly play out the rest of the game which was a really great effort.
 
“At the moment his ankle’s still a little bit swollen, so we will need to monitor him and see how he goes day-by-day.”
 
Excitement machine Martin was forced from the ground on a stretcher after a sickening head clash with Richmond captain Trent Cotchin halfway through the third quarter.
 
The West Australian has endured an injury littered start to his career at Metricon Stadium, but is a chance to play in this weekend’s clash with Essendon if he satisfactorily passes concussion tests later in the week.
 
“So far this week he’s been really good, he’s passed all the tests. We’ll continue to assess him and Barry Rigby, our doctor, will assess him on Thursday after main training to see his availability,” Russell said.
 
Like Martin, Nicholls has suffered more than his fair share of injury setbacks during the early stages of his career.
 
A serious posterior cruciate ligament ended the ruckman’s season in round seven last year, but this knee injury (which is to his other knee) is at the other end of the severity scale and could see him return before the end of the year.
 
“Tom Nicholls unfortunately had a clash of knees in the last centre bounce of the second quarter. He was substituted out after half-time,” Russell said.
 
“Subsequent MRI scans yesterday have shown that his PCL’s actually okay, he has irritated the capsule on his right knee.
 
“He won’t play this weekend and we will continue to assess him on a week-by-week basis for the rest of the year.”
 
Trent McKenzie will miss the last three weeks of the season after suffering a second hamstring tear in the space of a month at the SUNS' final training session last week.
 
In more positive news for Rodney Eade’s side, defensive duo Rory Thompson (ankle) and Seb Tape (hamstring) will be available for selection ahead of the clash with the Bombers after they overcame their respective injuries.
 
Thompson has missed the last fortnight with an ankle issue after suffering the injury against West Coast in round 18 and could be recalled to combat an imposing Essendon forward line that despite on-field carnage, still consists of emerging star Joe Daniher and swingmen Cale Hooker and Jake Carlisle.