As far as reasons for missing training go, Essendon coach, Matthew Knights, admits David Hille’s rates up there with the best.
 
The big ruckman was stung by a stingray on Sunday afternoon while holding an extra recovery session by himself and has missed all training sessions this week.
 
“I will be interested to see what he comes up with next week,” Knights joked.
 
“Knowing David he would have been very irate and would have gone looking for the stingray to seek retribution and get hold of it so that would have been David’s response at the time.
 
“But David is a very matter of fact person and said to me ‘Oh well, I’ve been stung, I’ll be right, see you Friday’.”
 
 
Knights said following the painful incident there was a concern some of the stingray’s barb was still in Hille’s leg and the 27-year-old was kept in hospital overnight and operated on.
 
“A plastic surgeon removed the barb and all is well and he is recovering well,” Knights said.
 
“He hasn’t trained all week but he will do some running on Friday. He’s certainly disappointed at missing this week’s training because it’s on top of missing three or four weeks with a hamstring also.
 
""So it’s nearly five weeks now where he’s been out of the full program which isn’t ideal but up until then he’d had a fantastic preseason and obviously he’s coming off a cracking year where he was our best and fairest winner.
 
“He’ll be fine for Round 1 of the AFL season but I would say this (the sting) would make it very difficult for him to play in the first round of the NAB Cup, especially on top of the hamstring.”
 
Hille and fellow ruckman Jason Laycock are two of 10-12 players that Knights says are recovering from injury or need more conditioning and will not be available for the first NAB Cup game.
 
“Big Tom Bellchambers will shoulder a lot of the work in the ruck (during the NAB Cup) and I haven’t spoken to young Christian Bock yet about playing in Darwin but we have to make a decision and see how he comes along over the next three weeks,” Knights said.
 
New recruits Michael Hurley, David Zaharakis, Tyson Slattery and Hayden Skipworth are all expected to play in the NAB Cup.
 
The coach said that by the time Round 1 of the home and away AFL season arrives - and barring any further injuries - only Brent Prismall, Darcy Daniher and maybe Jason Laycock will be unavailable for selection.