Essendon appears ready to welcome back All-Australian midfielder Darcy Parish, star ruckman Sam Draper, and emerging talent Ben Hobbs for this weekend’s match against Sydney.
Coach Brad Scott indicated that all three players are expected to be medically cleared ahead of Thursday night’s team announcement. Their selection will depend on their performance in training.
Draper has played three VFL matches to prepare for his return after undergoing significant groin surgery last September. Despite Scott’s careful approach and reliance on veteran recruit Todd Goldstein in Draper’s absence, it seems likely that Draper will be selected.
Essendon looks set to bring back All-Australian midfielder Darcy Parish, star ruckman Sam Draper, and emerging talent Ben Hobbs for their upcoming game against Sydney.
Coach Brad Scott has suggested that all three players are likely to be cleared medically before Thursday night’s team announcement. Their inclusion in the squad will hinge on their performance in training.
Draper has participated in three VFL matches as part of his return from major groin surgery last September. Despite Scott’s cautious approach and the team’s use of veteran recruit Todd Goldstein during Draper’s absence, Draper’s selection appears probable.
“I suspect he’ll be made medically available,” Scott revealed. “It will come down to more of a coaching decision rather than a medical decision. If he’s medically available and trains well then he’ll play.”
The last of the trio is explosive 20-year-old Ben Hobbs, who suffered a pre-season setback in February with a shoulder injury during match simulation. Initially expected to return before the start of the season, he has been held back to allow a full recovery in his AC joint.
“He’s had a terrific preseason, he had a really unfortunate injury in terms of timing,” Scott said about his young star. “He’s ready to play AFL footy… he’ll come into our team, whether it’s this week or next week.”
Veteran Dylan Shiel remains a test with his foot injury, but will take some time to re-enter the lineup, having not played a competitive match since early July last year.
Downplaying the return of the 31-year-old, Scott indicated some more time is needed for Shiel’s selection.
“He’s just missed a lot of footy… almost a year since he’s played some footy,” he added. “It’s just great to see him back out there but I think he needs some more work.”
On the decision not to challenge Mason Redman’s suspension for striking Hawthorn midfielder Jai Newcombe, Scott revealed that the club was informed this was a case not worth fighting.
“Our advice was that he had no chance of winning an appeal,” he said. “It would be negligent to give up $10,000 of our soft cap to try and challenge an unwinnable appeal.”
While Redman will be sidelined for one week, the potential for three crucial additions provides a silver lining for Scott’s Bombers, who meet Sydney at the SCG this Saturday night in hopes of a 2-0 start to 2024.
