ESSENDON coach Matthew Knights says star ruckman David Hille is unlikely to play in the first NAB Cup game after being attacked by a stingray on the weekend.

Hille became the third player in a year to be hospitalised after being stung by a stingray in Port Phillip Bay on Sunday night.

The 27-year-old was doing his own recovery session at St Kilda when he was stung on the shin.

The good news for Bombers fans is that the injury to the 2008 Crichton Medallist is not expected to disrupt his preparation for the season.

Last February, young Bulldog Jarrad Grant – recruited from the Dandenong Stingrays, like Hille – was hospitalised after being stung on the ankle, and West Coast midfield star Daniel Kerr was also stung on the ankle in June.

Knights said he would keep Hille out of the NAB Cup game against the Western Bulldogs in Darwin on Friday February 13.

“I sent David a text last night, saying it was a good way to avoid some warmish training conditions, and he said he’s thinking of his new one for next week so he can miss next week as well,” Knights said with a laugh.

“Knowing David, he would have been quite irate and he probably would have gone looking for the stingray to seek retribution.

“There were a few complications initially because we didn’t know whether the barb was still in or if it had come out.

“David spent the night in hospital and a plastic surgeon came in to remove the barb, and he’s now recovering well.

“It’s not what you want at this time of the year.

“He’s missed all this week thus far, and on Friday we’ll endeavour to do a couple of slow laps with David and get him moving again.”

Knights said the setback wasn’t what Hille needed, given his preseason had already been disrupted in a major way.

“He’s certainly disappointed in missing this week’s training, as it was basically on top of missing three or four weeks with a hamstring.

“So it’s nearly five weeks now where he’s been out of the full program, which is not ideal.

“But up until then he’d had a fantastic pre-season, and obviously he’s coming off a cracking year as the best-and-fairest winner of our club.

“He’ll be fine for round one.”