Essendon Expects “Four or Five Players” Back After Bye, Midfielder’s New Injury Concern

Essendon aims to have up to five players available for selection after their Round 14 bye, following a disappointing loss to rivals Carlton on Sunday night.

Essendon suffered a 26-point loss to Carlton at the MCG in front of a near-90,000 crowd, with execution in the front half proving to be a significant weakness for Essendon. The Bombers managed to score nine goals from 60 inside 50s, while Carlton capitalized on 15 goals from 41 entries, moving themselves into the top two on the ladder at Essendon’s expense.

Brad Scott’s team will now have a week off before returning to face West Coast on June 23, likely utilizing the bye for player rehabilitation. However, midfielder Will Setterfield may be sidelined again, with concerns over his knee that troubled him earlier in the 2024 season.

Setterfield, 26, returned to the side on Sunday for his first game since Round 4, but he appeared to have aggravated his knee during the match. Scott indicated he didn’t have an update on Setterfield’s status immediately after the game.

“We didn’t get a report. I think he just fell on his knee, so we activated a sub,” Scott said. “I’ll follow up with that later.”

Scott remains optimistic that several key players, including Mason Redman (hamstring), Ben Hobbs (calf), Xavier Duursma (quad), Kaine Baldwin (foot), and Sam Draper (knee), could be available for selection against West Coast. Their return would strengthen Essendon’s depth, allowing for more flexibility in player positions during matches.

“We trained Nic Martin in a different position during the preseason to give us flexibility in game-day roles,” Scott explained. “He’s not the only one; we have several players who can change positions based on game conditions.”

Despite the loss and potential injury setbacks, Scott believes in the team’s ability to bounce back after the bye, with several players expected to return to the side in the coming weeks.

“Redman’s absence tonight was significant, not just because he’s a quality player but also in terms of our team structure. It forced us to adjust and we learned some valuable lessons.

“I thought Jye Menzie performed well playing in defense for the first time in his career. He’s never played in that position before, but he adapted quickly to the role.

“We had to reshuffle the rest of the team to cover for the changes. Last year, we didn’t have that flexibility and were more limited, especially when dealing with personnel losses.

“Our game and depth in that regard are improving. After the bye, we expect four or five players who were unavailable today to be back in contention.”

Following two consecutive losses, Essendon has dropped to third place on the ladder with eight wins, four losses, and one draw from their 13 games.

Next, they will host West Coast at Marvel Stadium in Round 15 before facing Geelong at the MCG the following week.