Gold Coast SUNS midfielder Matt Rowell will be sidelined for the beginning of the 2026 AFL season with a finger injury sustained in Saturday night’s AFL Origin.

Rowell was sent for scans following Saturday’s match in Perth with scans revealing the 24-year-old will require surgery.

“Scans have shown a fracture in a finger on Matt’s left hand. After consulting with specialists this morning, the decision was made for Matt to undergo surgery this week,” GC SUNS Head Physiotherapist Andrew Weller said.

“A timeframe around his return to play will be determined following the operation.”

Small forward Jake Rogers and ruck Max Knobel will also be unavailable for the beginning of the season after suffering hamstring and ankle injuries respectively in training.

“Jake has suffered a moderate hamstring strain which will see him unavailable for the two pre-season matches,” Weller said.

“Scans on Max’s ankle has confirmed a high-grade lateral ligament ankle injury which will also keep him sidelined in the medium term.”

Key defender Charlie Ballard continues to progress in his recovery from an ACL injury with an eye on being available for selection early in the 2026 season.