Essendon Looks to Welcome Back Key Players Against West Coast

Essendon may see the return of up to four key players from injury this weekend as they prepare to face West Coast after their bye round. This break has been particularly beneficial for Mason Redman, who is recovering from a hamstring strain and is expected to be available if he successfully completes training.

Xavier Duursma and Ben Hobbs are both pushing for their returns, aiming to make their first appearances since rounds nine and 11, respectively, after dealing with quad and calf injuries. Additionally, ruckman Sam Draper is back in contention following knee surgery in mid-May.

Will Setterfield will undergo a fitness test this week after being subbed out due to knee soreness during the round 13 loss to Carlton. If he passes, he will join the returning group, providing a significant boost to the Dons as they enter the second half of their season, starting with Sunday’s game against the Eagles at Marvel Stadium.

However, not all the injury news is positive. Defender Kaine Baldwin has suffered a setback with ankle soreness stemming from a previous navicular bone stress injury. He is expected to miss the next 3-6 weeks as he recovers.

Here’s the latest update on Essendon’s injury list as of June 18:

Essendon Round 15 Injury List:

– Mason Redman: Hamstring, Test

– Ben Hobbs: Calf, Test

– Xavier Duursma: Quad, Test

– Will Setterfield: Knee, Test

– Sam Draper: Knee, Test

– Kaine Baldwin: Navicular stress, 3-6 weeks

– Darcy Parish: Calf, 4 weeks

– Saad El-Hawli: Ankle, 6-7 weeks

– Zach Reid: Pectoral, TBC

– Jaiden Hunter: ACL, Season

The return of these players is expected to provide a crucial lift for the Bombers as they look to make a strong push in the latter part of their campaign.