Orazio Fantasia to bolster injury-hit Essendon for trip west as star Bomber reaffirms future
Orazio Fantasia says he was stunned after being linked to a trade home and is now looking forward to letting his footy do the talking - starting with his team’s elimination final with West Coast.
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Orazio Fantasia and Cale Hooker have declared themselves certain starters to take on West Coast on Thursday despite injuries that have plagued their preparation.
Fantasia will need post-season surgery on a labrum tear in his hip but said a fortnight’s break had even allowed a solid block of training.
The star small forward made it crystal clear he will play at Essendon next year despite trade speculation.
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He said the story was just plain wrong, even if he might one day return to Adelaide when his contract expires.
Hooker is similarly bullish about his fitness, having missed a week to shake off a groin injury in Round 22 then missed Round 23 with gastro.
He told the Herald Sun he had been ready to go last week before gastro meant he couldn’t eat or drink on game day, meaning he wasn’t risked.
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Hooker will be a game-time decision to take on one of Jack Darling or Josh Kennedy but encouragingly ran 9km at training on Thursday.
Essendon will go in raging underdogs against the reigning premiership but will welcome back Jake Stringer (hamstring), Hooker, Fantasia and captain Dyson Heppell (foot).
Even if Hurley misses they will be in better shape than their 2017 elimination final against Sydney where Hooker missed with a leg injury, Hurley battled with calf issues and Fantasia was quiet first-up from a hamstring strain.
After only five goals in seven games Fantasia admits he has had to stay closer to goal but hopes he can make an impact despite the lingering hip injury.
“Because we made the finals I was able to take that last week off and get a good block of training in, which I haven’t had for a while. To have three weeks of training before a final will put me in good stead.”
Fantasia pledged his future to the club and said when it was first reported he could leave he had to reassure his parents it wasn’t happening.
“My family are from there but I am really, really happy here and unless something massive changed I couldn’t see it happening,” he said.
“Honestly I was a bit shocked (by the story). We were in a meeting and it came out and it sort of rattled me. I spoke to my family and said 'Nothing is happening’. It probably affected them more than me and I told them, ‘Don’t worry, nothing is happening, I am really happy here’.”
Hooker could be thrown forward after game-winning moments against Gold Coast and GWS this year but either way he won’t be carrying lingering soreness.
“I am fit and ready to go. It worked out well having a couple of weeks off, my body is feeling good and I am ready for the finals series. I got a knee (to the groin) against Gold Coast and carried it for a couple of weeks and it was still dagging me so we took the week off against Freo and it cleared it and I was a bit crook on the weekend but trained hard today and had a good session.”
Originally published as Orazio Fantasia to bolster injury-hit Essendon for trip west as star Bomber reaffirms future