Essendon high performance manager Justin Crow says Bombers fans can expect almost all players to be available for selection in the side’s second JLT clash in Colac on Sunday.
Several key Bombers missed the club’s first JLT match against Richmond in Wangaratta including two-time All Australian defender Michael Hurley.
Speaking on the SKINS Injury Update, Crow said there were no concerns with Hurley’s previously troublesome wrist and said the players that missed the match were still able to hit the track.
“Hurls, Cale Hooker, David Myers, Orazio – those players who weren’t playing in JLT 1 – were back here in Melbourne,” Crow said.
“They did 12.5km of good, solid football work – more than they would have got in the JLT match – and they will all be available for the JLT 2 game coming up in Colac.”
Star midfielder Zach Merrett was forced from the ground early in the contest against the Tigers after receiving a head-knock, but Crow said the young gun had “recovered very well”.
“Zach got a little clip to the head early in the game, he had some blurred vision, so (he) was obviously assessed by our doctors and was unable to return to the match.
“On the Monday following that game he did a good training session and has been back in the full program since then.”
Crow also provided updates on the club’s rehabilitation list, indicating that speedster Travis Colyer will return to football a few weeks into the home and away season.
“We have a few guys progressing through rehab, you’ve got Travis Colyer who with his sesamoid (foot) injury will be back on the AlterG (treadmill) in three to four weeks,” he said.
“He’s tracking towards approximately a round-six or round-seven return to football.”
Injury-ravaged forward Jayden Laverde is also progressing well in his recovery from a hamstring strain.
“We’ll scan that (hamstring) to check the tendon healing in a fortnight and have a better idea about when we can play him again after that.
“He’s doing some nice running volume in the meantime at lower speeds.”
Crow admitted young midfielder Kobe Mutch’s recovery from a lateral meniscus knee injury had been “a little bit slow early”, but said the tough on-baller would be back on the treadmill next week.
“Approximately he’d have about four weeks to go given where he’s tracking at the moment.”
Crow said the club was “really happy” with the number of players available for selection ahead of Essendon’s fast-approaching clash with Adelaide in round one.
“We’ll keep building our fitness from week to week,” he said.
“Obviously we’ve all got a lot to work on, but we’ve got a few weeks to really nail all of those things and make sure we’ve got good availability and a good level of fitness heading into round one.”
