Injury and availability check: Monday 26 October 2026, 9.02 pm Adelaide time (ACDT). This is the opening Round 7 assessment, not a final game-day team sheet. The NBL's official injury register was last updated at 3 pm AEDT on 25 October. A round-number return estimate is not a medical clearance, and the absence of a name from a list does not guarantee selection.
Round 7 begins with Perth hosting Sydney on Wednesday 28 October and ends with Melbourne hosting New Zealand on Monday 2 November. The official NBL fixture lists nine matches. Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Melbourne, New Zealand, Perth, Sydney and Tasmania each have two games; Illawarra and South East Melbourne have one. That distribution changes the fantasy consequences of every fitness call: a possible two-game contributor can still become a zero if not selected, while a fit single-game star should not be dismissed automatically.
Adelaide: Cameron and Kuol remain unconfirmed
The league register lists Flynn Cameron (ankle), Matt Kenyon (back) and Bul Kuol (ACL) with TBC returns. Coach Trevor Gleeson confirmed before the Phoenix match that Cameron and Kuol were still absent, and discussed new centre Mangok Mathiang as a contributor to rebounding and rim protection. Read the NBL's 24 October report. Adelaide visit New Zealand on Friday before hosting Brisbane on Sunday. Bryce Cotton played 40 minutes against Phoenix in Round 6, recording 37 points and eight assists, but heavy recent minutes are a workload observation, not evidence of an injury. Do not assume Cameron or Kuol will return for either game without a new club update. Mathiang's addition creates a rotation question alongside Nick Rakocevic, not a confirmed reduction in any particular player's minutes.
Sydney and Melbourne: two tempting Round 7 estimates
Matthew Dellavedova (calf) is listed for a Round 7 return and Chris Goulding (calf) is also listed for Round 7. Neither entry says the player has passed a fitness test or is selected. Sydney's Wednesday visit to Perth arrives before its Friday game at Tasmania, making Dellavedova's status especially time-sensitive. Melbourne travel to Cairns on Saturday and host New Zealand on Monday, so Goulding's potential return could alter guard and wing minutes across two fixtures. The correct fantasy action is to watch the confirmed squad and match-day availability, rather than crediting either veteran with two appearances now. Melbourne's Sean Macdonald remains listed out for the season with an ACL injury; Sydney's Keli Leaupepe is also season-long on the register.
Brisbane: Harrison has returned, but the backcourt absences persist
Tyrell Harrison is not a speculative Round 7 comeback: the NBL confirmed he passed an ankle fitness test for the 24 October Illawarra game, and he subsequently appeared. That is stronger evidence than an old injury designation, although it does not guarantee an unchanged workload against Cairns and Adelaide. Meanwhile the league register lists Jacob Holt (ankle) and Sam McDaniel (lower leg) for Round 10, and Arnas Velička (lower limb) for Rounds 11–12. Those are projected return windows, not newly announced absences from a submitted Round 7 team sheet. The missing guard depth supports scrutiny of Nate Hinton and Max Mackinnon's roles, but do not manufacture a minutes ceiling or a price-based trade recommendation.
New Zealand and Cairns: confirmed returns, fresh rotation tests
The Breakers confirmed Parker Jackson-Cartwright's clearance before Sunday's Cairns match. He played 26.92 minutes, producing 14 points, six rebounds and nine assists in the 86–84 defeat. That establishes actual match fitness and involvement, not an unconditional promise of two full workloads against Adelaide and Melbourne. The injury register separately retains Josiah-Jordan James (hamstring) and Preston Le Gassick (neck) as TBC. For Cairns, Jaylin Galloway was officially cleared and delivered 18 points and six assists in 26:32 on debut; coach Adam Forde subsequently explained that a reported minutes plan had not been discussed with him. That is encouraging for his Round 7 opportunity, but the sample is one game after shoulder surgery. Cairns' Sunday Dech (hamstring) remains listed for Round 8. Both teams play twice in Round 7, so check the next squad announcements rather than extrapolating one return appearance into a guaranteed role.
Perth, Tasmania and the single-game sides
Perth's Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. (calf) is listed for Round 11, Blake Nielsen (ACL) for the season and Jimmy Whitt (personal reasons) as TBC. Kristian Doolittle has already returned to the court: in Round 6 he logged 38.4 minutes, 23 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists against Melbourne. That makes him an evidence-backed fantasy consideration for Perth's Sydney–Illawarra double, although one return game is not a permanent workload guarantee. Tasmania's register lists Ben Ayre (hip flexor) for Round 7, Majok Deng (lower leg) for Rounds 8–10 and Bryce Hamilton (ACL) as TBC. Again, Ayre's round estimate is not clearance. The JackJumpers face Sydney and South East Melbourne. South East Melbourne's Hunter Goodrick (knee) remains TBC; Illawarra's Mason Peatling (foot) is listed out for the season. Both clubs have only one fixture, which changes their short-term fantasy ceiling even where healthy players retain substantial roles.
The actionable order before lockout
First, recheck Dellavedova and Goulding because their projected returns coincide with two-game schedules and may affect established rotations. Second, do not count Cameron, Kuol or Ayre as available without confirmation; treat TBC and round estimates as unresolved. Third, distinguish the verified appearances of Harrison, Jackson-Cartwright, Doolittle and Galloway from the unverified assumption that their minutes will repeat. Finally, use the actual Round 7 fixture and your own game's lockout and scoring rules when comparing players. This report is a snapshot of verified evidence, not a guarantee of final line-ups; it should be refreshed only when meaningful new official information arrives.
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