Essendon forward Joe Daniher suffers another injury setback

Essendon’s star forward Joe Daniher will miss at least the first month of the season but the Bombers spearhead is taking a positive outlook despite the fresh injury setback.

Joe Daniher of the Bombers.

Essendon forward Joe Daniher won’t rush his return from a calf injury that will keep him out for at least six weeks, eager to ensure he is match-ready before taking the field again.

Daniher made only a modest return from the groin injury that wrecked his 2018 season through the two JLT games this year.

Coach John Worsfold suggested earlier this week that 25-year-old Daniher would play only modified minutes in the Round 1 clash with GWS, but those plans went out the window when scans on Thursday confirmed a calf tear.

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“It’s just a bad bit of luck … but the opportunity now is to get it right, take a little bit longer to finetune what I’ve been working on (with) my game,” Daniher said.

Essendon forward Joe Daniher has suffered another injury setback.

“Hopefully I will come back in and be able to perform, rather than … just play.

“There’s never a good time to get injured, but I have a fantastic opportunity now to … work a little harder on those little things I want to finetune in my game and hopefully come back a better player.”

He conceded he would have played only limited game time in Round 1, given he wasn’t 100 per cent match fit, but stressed: “I won’t be making the same mistake twice”.

Daniher had tightness in his calf on Wednesday, but didn’t think too much about it until the scans revealed the “knick” the following day.

Daniher was the centre of attention at the AFL Captains’ Day, where he stood in for Dyson Heppell. Pic Getty Images

He will sit down with medical staff next week to map out a rehabilitation plan.

“I am at a point in my career when I have got some really good self awareness of where I am at as a player, and where I can get to, and grow to,” he said.

“I want to be a really strong leader for our footy club. From a football point of view, it is about being able to compete for longer periods in games, compete for longer months, and (for) full seasons.”