The club anticipates that ruckman Draper, wingman Xavier Duursma (recovering from a quad injury), defender Mason Redman (hamstring), and midfielder Ben Hobbs (calf) will be available to return from their respective injury layoffs for Sunday’s match against the Eagles. All four players participated in training with the group during Thursday’s main session.
Essendon is in a strong position in terms of player availability after the mid-year bye, with only Darcy Parish (calf) and Zach Reid (pectoral) unavailable. Coach Brad Scott indicated that tough decisions lie ahead in selection, given the depth of available players.
Regarding Sam Draper, who has had a season marred by injuries, Scott suggested that the aggressive big man is likely to return for the upcoming clash against the Eagles. This comes as West Coast also anticipates the return of co-captain Oscar Allen from a knee injury.
“We’re probably in the same situation as West Coast, with Oscar Allen and Sam Draper. Both have been ready to return to footy at some level, but due to byes and VFL commitments, they weren’t able to play last week,” Scott explained.
Essendon has been addressing issues with conversion and goal accuracy in recent defeats to Gold Coast and Carlton. Scott mentioned that they have focused heavily on goalkicking during the bye week to rectify these issues.
As they prepare to face 17th-placed West Coast, Essendon could potentially reclaim a top-three spot on the ladder with a victory. Scott emphasized, however, that the team is focused on process rather than speculating about finals possibilities during their break.
“We’ve created an opportunity for ourselves in the first half of the year. We should be aware of that, but in elite sport, you have to concentrate on the process and everything that has gotten us to this point,” Scott concluded.
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