Essendon will be without Peter Wright for the next 4-6 weeks after the key forward suffered a high-grade ankle ligament injury in Saturday’s VFL practice match against Collingwood.

The 28-year-old was sent for scans after an awkward landing in a marking contest during the second quarter, which confirmed strained ligaments in his left ankle, ruling him out for the start of the 2025 season. 

Midfielder Darcy Parish is building his running loads and progressing in his recovery from a niggling back complaint, with the former All-Australian aiming for a return in the early stages of the home-and-away season.

Defender Jayden Laverde will be unavailable for the next 2-3 weeks as he battles a persistent hip flexor complaint. 

Utility Nik Cox is now working back into non-contact, skills-based training after managing lingering symptoms from a concussion sustained back in December.

Matt Guelfi continues to rehab from last month’s hamstring surgery, while Alwyn Davey Jnr has also increased his running loads after undergoing surgery on his meniscus.

Essendon’s clash with Hawthorn kicks off from 7:40pm AEDT this Friday night at the MCG, broadcast live on Ch 7, FOX and Kayo.