Post-season surgery for key Essendon stars means delayed start to pre-season
Essendon’s hopes of getting a headstart on 2019’s best sides have hit a snag with some stars facing a delayed start to pre-season as they go under the knife.
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Essendon stars Michael Hurley, Dyson Heppell and Orazio Fantasia will all have delayed starts to pre-season training to recover from post-season surgery.
The trio of stars aren’t expected to join main training until the new year as the full extent of Essendon’s injury woes were laid bare.
Gun defender Hurley had a shoulder reconstruction on Monday and will be off until after Christmas.
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Hurley dislocated his shoulder in the Round 23 loss to Collingwood and courageously played in pain only 13 days later in the elimination final defeat to West Coast.
Ace forward Fantasia will undergo a hip arthroscopy and is slated for a January return.
Captain Heppell could resume light duties in December as he prepares to go under the knife in the coming days to fix a problem with the growth plates in his left foot.
But the club will be extremely cautious with the skipper’s recovery, having battled the problem since mid-season.
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The injuries were a significant blow late in Essendon’s season as the Bombers were easily brushed aside by the Eagles in the elimination final last Thursday night.
But Essendon is set to revamp its high performance department next season after parting ways with strength and conditioning boss Justin Crow.
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Backman Martin Gleeson will also have another tidy-up on his ankle but should be ready in two or three months, while veteran midfielder David Zaharakis has undergone an operation to overcome his syndesmosis.
Matt Guelfi also had a procedure to repair his lateral meniscus and will resume running in November.
Back-up ruckman Zac Clarke will also be off his legs until late October as he recovers from a stress reaction in his leg.
Key forward Mitch Brown also suffered a calf injury in the elimination final loss to the Eagles and should start pre-season training on time with the rest of the group.
Originally published as Post-season surgery for key Essendon stars means delayed start to pre-season