Essendon skipper James Hird will miss the next three matches after badly spraining his ankle in the Bombers round 18 clash with Carlton at the MCG. Hird landed awkwardly after a marking contest on the half forward flank in front of the members stand early in the last quarter. Hird writhed in agony and clutched at his right ankle before being carried from the ground by trainers. Initially it was feared Hird could have broken his ankle but X-rays late tonight revealed that he has not suffered any bone damage.

""It is good news in terms of bone damage but he has done some damage to ligaments on both sides of the ankle,"" Essendon football manager Matthew Drain said. ""He will miss the next three matches.""

Hird had almost single-handedly kept the Bombers in the match against the Blues with a devastating second and third quarter. His loss was a savage blow to the Bombers who looked to be getting on top of Carlton at the time. He will miss matches against Sydney, Collingwood and West Coast.

On a positive note, the Bombers are expecting Dean Rioli, Justin Blumfield and Mark Johnson to return for this weekend's match against Sydney.