Essendon could welcome back a number of key inclusions to bolster the side ahead of their Round 21 clash against Brisbane, with Jason Winderlich, Nathan Lovett-Murray and Bachar Houli among the names set to return from injury.
Football Operations Manager Paul Hamilton said Winderlich (hand), Lovett-Murray (back) and Houli (knee) would undergo fitness tests this week before being declared fit to play.
“Jason is a chance and we are hopeful but it will really just depend how much mobility he has in his hand and the pain threshold he can endure,” he said.
“Nathan is also a chance to be available. He had a magnificent first half of the season but did drop away a little bit in the second half, but he went back and played some games for Bendigo and has been playing really well.
“If the medical staff says he is 100 per cent clear then he is going to be available, but if there is any sort of doubt in terms of his back injury in the long term then we are not going to play him.
“Bachar pulled up pretty sore from the week before and then wasn’t able to come up for the following week so we are going to wait and see how he trains.
“Given that we are not playing until Sunday he is in the mix.”
Veteran Dustin Fletcher will miss again this week with a hamstring injury but may be available for selection against the Western Bulldogs should he receive the go-ahead from medical staff.
“It is a minor hamstring and is his first soft tissue injury for the year, which for a 35-year-old is not a bad record,” Hamilton said.
“He has definitely been ruled out for this week but if he does come up 100 per cent then we may consider him for our last game of the season.”
With the season drawing to an end, Hamilton said that sore and tired bodies were expected, especially with the number of young players being fielded.
“There were some tired boys on the weekend and we did have 14 guys who have played less than 50-games playing on the weekend, so with that you’re going to have guys who are battling to get through the season,” he said.
“We fielded six first year players and first year players are notorious for struggling to get through the year.”
