You are currently logged in to Club Exclusive access
MINOR INJURY SETBACK FOR FORMER ROOKIES
Two former Essendon rookies received minor pre-season injury setbacks this week. However, the good news for both Courtney Johns and Ben Haynes is they are expected to be available for Round 1. Haynes has a stress reaction in his foot and scans have revealed there is no fracture. The injury has been detected early and football manager Dominic Cato said it should resolve itself through a modified training program over the next few weeks. ""Ben will wear a protective boot for the next two weeks to aid his recovery. This will support the structure of the foot and take the pressure of the stressed area,"" Cato said.
Two former Essendon rookies received minor pre-season injury setbacks this week. However, the good news for both Courtney Johns and Ben Haynes is they are expected to be available for Round 1. Haynes has a stress reaction in his foot and scans have revealed there is no fracture. The injury has been detected early and football manager Dominic Cato said it should resolve itself through a modified training program over the next few weeks. ""Ben will wear a protective boot for the next two weeks to aid his recovery. This will support the structure of the foot and take the pressure of the stressed area,"" Cato said.
Despite the injury, Haynes will travel to Warrnambool this morning with the team for a four-day training and promotional camp. Cato said Haynes will basically rest this week and then he will start swimming and bike work next week. ""It is expected that Ben would be available to play Wizard Cup or Practice matches by mid-March,"" Cato said.
Unlike Haynes, Johns will not be joining the team in Warrnambool this week. The 19-year-old returned home to Perth last night to consult his surgeon regarding his hip. The surgeons will review an MRI scan to determine whether or not he needs arthroscopic surgery to relieve the lingering pain in his hip. This pain is currently holding him back from full training.
""No single incident has brought this on, it is an ongoing management issue with Courtney’s hip injury. If surgery is performed Courtney will remain with his family in Perth for two weeks to recover and then return to Melbourne for a full rehabilitation program,"" Cato said.
Stay tuned to the BomberLand website for further updates regarding the progress of Johns and Haynes.
Mark Alvey will help fill the void that was created when Essendon lost Chris Heffernan, Blake Caracella and Justin Blumfield at the end of the 2001 season, according to coach Kevin Sheedy. Conceding that Essendon has struggled to find numbers to rotate through the middle, Sheedy says a fit and in-form Alvey will be important. ""We do need some pace in the midfield and some good long kicking and Mark Alvey is definitely capable of playing that way for us,"" Sheedy said.
