Essendon might see the return of Jordan Ridley for their upcoming clash with North Melbourne in round 10. Ridley, who has been sidelined since sustaining a quad injury during the pre-season and aggravating it in April, has undergone a cautious rehabilitation process. If he completes training without any setbacks, he stands a chance of playing his first game of the season.
Additionally, there’s positive news regarding Zach Reid and Jye Menzie, who both made successful comebacks from injury in the VFL last week. Reid, returning from a hamstring strain suffered in round one, tallied 26 disposals and 10 marks, while Menzie, recovering from a shoulder issue, managed 13 touches and a goal.
Kaine Baldwin continues his steady recovery from a navicular injury and could potentially return to playing before the team’s round 14 bye.
However, there are setbacks as well. Xavier Duursma is expected to be sidelined for 5-6 weeks due to a quad tear suffered during training, and Sam Draper underwent a minor knee procedure, likely keeping him out for 6-8 weeks. The team is aiming to have Draper back shortly after the mid-season bye.
Here’s the summary of Essendon’s injury list for round 10:
– Jordan Ridley: Quad injury – Test
– Will Setterfield: Knee injury – 2-3 weeks
– Kaine Baldwin: Navicular stress – 5 weeks
– Xavier Duursma: Quad injury – 5-6 weeks
– Sam Draper: Knee injury – 6-8 weeks
– Jaiden Hunter: ACL injury – Season
