AFL Round 2: Essendon captain Dyson Heppell has scans on back issue

Essendon’s huge task to overcome flag contender Port Adelaide could get even tougher, with captain Dyson Heppell in doubt.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 21: Orazio Fantasia of the Power marks during the round one AFL match between the North Melbourne Kangaroos and the Port Adelaide Power at Marvel Stadium on March 21, 2021 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Essendon skipper Dyson Heppell has undergone scans on his back a day out from the Bombers’ Round 2 clash with leading flag contender Port Adelaide.

Heppell excelled in his new half-back role in Round 1, winning 25 disposals and being one of Essendon’s best players in a one-point defeat to Hawthorn.

He told reporters on Friday he was dealing with back tightness, but was confident he would face the Power at Adelaide Oval.

It’s an important match for the Bombers, given they have a tough fixture to start the season, with St Kilda, a resurgent Sydney (SCG), Brisbane (The Gabba) and Collingwood in the following month.

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Coach Ben Rutten has already confirmed that forward Jake Stringer (Achilles) would play another VFL practice match this weekend before being considered for AFL selection.

“Jake needs to be ready to come in fit and ready to perform – not just for one week, but for 22 weeks,” Rutten said.

“I think what we’ve seen is guys who have trained for 10 weeks and are still absolutely cooked at the end of games, so we need to ensure Jake can handle the load.”

Essendon is also still without the likes of Michael Hurley (hip infection), Patrick Ambrose (foot), James Stewart (hamstring) and David Zaharakis (knee).

Dyson Heppell is in doubt for Essendon’s clash with Port Adelaide.

DONS URGE TO TARGET FORMER TEAMMATE

Jay Clark

Essendon has been urged to be more confrontational with former speedster Orazio Fantasia than the friendly welcome Adam Treloar received from Collingwood.

Fantasia has already said he will experience some nerves coming up against the Bombers for the first time on Saturday after walking out on the club last year.

Former Bomber Brendon Goddard, who said he copped the cold shoulder from his best mates at St Kilda in his first game against his old side, and ex-Adelaide turned Melbourne star Bernie Vince both urged the Bombers not to be friendly with Fantasia before the bounce.

Treloar received a pre-game hug from Tyler Brown on Friday night, helping ease any tension for the Western Bulldogs’ recruit in his first game in new colours.

Orazio Fantasia is mobbed by his new teammates after kicking a goal. Picture: Michael Klein.

Goddard said a hostile reaction from your old teammates made a tough game even more difficult.

“It (cold shoulder) definitely made me feel more uncomfortable, and I expected it. It’s probably why I was emotional, because I had thought about it so much,” Goddard said.

“From a competitive perspective, you do want them (former teammates) to feel uncomfortable because you want to win. You want that edge.

“And ‘Raz’ is a very good player. He kicked four last week.

“So you’d think Ben Rutten will address it and say ‘How do we want to treat it? We want to win the game and therefore the best approach is to give him nothing’.

“If the back line all ran at him before the first bounce it sends a message that we are not going to make it easy for you today.

“He knows they all love him. Raz is a very well-liked guy, but this just plants that seed of doubt in his mind at the start of the game because he would be thinking about it.”

Orazio Fantasia will come up against his former teammates in Round 2.

Vince said Fantasia could be physically targeted.

“Fantasia is one of these players that doesn’t handle the physical stuff very well so you would do that anyway, especially coming up against your old side,” Vince said.

“I would go straight to him at the start.”

Former Fremantle and St Kilda coach Ross Lyon was surprised Treloar was hugged on Friday night by a former teammate.

Brendon Goddard says Essendon must be physical towards Fantasia.

“I’m not sure Tyler Brown’s father (Gavin) would have been hugging anyone before a bounce and what his coach Leigh Matthews would have said to him,” Lyon said on Triple M.

“Whether we like it or not, it’s controlled aggression, AFL football.

“(There’s) All that tension and then all of a sudden you get a hug and feel comfortable, the environment is comfortable. It doesn’t make sense to me.

“Leave your friendship until after the game.

Orazio Fantasia made an instant impact for Port Adelaide.

“You are representing 100,000 Collingwood fans and 70,000 members. How about we focus on business and be aggressive and get the four points.”

Goddard said the friendly reaction from Brown towards Treloar on Friday night was more evidence the game had changed.

He said there were verbal stoushes on the field compared to his era.

“I certainly wasn’t going up and trying to get a hug from ‘Roo’ when we played,” Goddard said.

“As much as we still loved each other.

“But this is a different generation, a different mentality. There is a new way of acting and this becomes the norm.”

Originally published as AFL Round 2: Essendon captain Dyson Heppell has scans on back issue