Essendon Prepares for Darcy Parish’s Return and Player Assessments Ahead of St Kilda Clash

Essendon is poised to reintegrate All-Australian midfielder Darcy Parish into the lineup for their upcoming Saturday afternoon clash against St Kilda.

Parish was omitted from Essendon’s recent loss to Sydney due to lingering effects of a hamstring injury sustained earlier this month. However, following another week of recovery, he is expected to participate in the team’s main training session on Thursday and should be available for selection.

The Bombers will evaluate the fitness of Will Setterfield and Harry Jones during training leading up to the weekend. Setterfield is recovering from a minor knee injury incurred in the match against Sydney, while Jones aims to fill the void left by suspended key forward Peter Wright. Coach Brad Scott indicated that Jones is in contention for selection, while Setterfield’s availability hinges on the resolution of swelling in his knee.

Dylan Shiel remains sidelined due to a stomach muscle concern, preventing his inclusion in senior selection after missing Essendon’s VFL fixture. However, the team anticipates his return to VFL action soon.

Key defender Jake Kelly is set to return after being sidelined due to illness, while Andy McGrath’s status remains uncertain pending further injury updates.