Conor McKenna returns to training after completing 14-day quarantine period, Orazio Fantasia injury update

Conor McKenna is thrilled to be back at Essendon after two months in Ireland and two weeks in quarantine. Meanwhile, the Bombers are thankful Orazio Fantasia has escaped serious injury.

Orazio Fantasia injured his quad at training. Picture: Getty

Conor McKenna says he is refreshed from time with family in Ireland and ready to attack his new role as an Essendon small forward.

But while Orazio Fantasia is set to miss Essendon’s Round 2 clash against Sydney, the Irishman will have to build his fitness before an AFL return after two weeks of home isolation.

The Dons said on Monday night night Fantasia might only miss a week with a low-grade quad strain suffered at training over the weekend.

While that break from the senior side could extend to a fortnight, it is excellent news for Fantasia given quad injuries can be tricky and rob players of their explosiveness.

Essendon football boss Dan Richardson said the club was “optimistic he will only miss 1-2 matches”.

In years past Fantasia was one of the club’s weapons up forward given 39 goals in 2017 as a star on the rise.

Now Essendon suddenly has a wealth of small forwards with Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, Jake Stringer and Jacob Townsend in impressive form in Round 1 as Darcy Parish and Devon Smith also drifted forward.

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Conor McKenna has finished his 14-day quarantine period. Picture: Michael Klein

McKenna missed Round 1 and then returned to Australia a fortnight ago but needed to serve a 14-day isolation where he was unable to leave his home.

It means he will have to work his way into the side with strong training or match simulation form yet he seems genuinely excited about playing as a small forward.

“I’m looking forward to it – just getting stuck into the season and seeing how I go,” McKenna said in his first day back at the club after his isolation finished on Saturday.

“It’s the first time I’ve been locked in a room for two weeks, only getting fresh air once a week for 15 minutes. It’s just a new thing to get used to, but thankfully I’m out of it now.

“The body’s feeling pretty good. I went for a run on Saturday and pulled up pretty well. It’s good to see some people now and get that interaction. I’ve been spending a fair bit of time with myself. It’s good to be back.”

“It’s the first time I’ve spent seven or eight weeks at home with the family.

“It was good just working the farm and Dad opened up about a month ago, so I started working with his business again for the last month. It was good to just spend time with family.”

Fantasia has only a minor quad injury after hip and knee surgery over the off-season, the latest frustrating setback for the 24-year-old.

Conor McKenna training before the AFL shutdown in March.

FANTASIA LIKELY TO MISS BOMBERS’ RESTART

The AFL’s Round 2 clash between Essendon and Sydney has likely lost another drawcard with Orazio Fantasia pulling up sore with a quad injury on Saturday.

The Dons are hopeful scans on Monday will diagnose only a minor issue but less than two weeks from the Sunday June 14 clash it would take only a minor tear to put him out of that clash.

Sydney star Lance Franklin will miss that clash with a serious hamstring injury, the latest AFL player to be injured upon his return to training.

Fantasia has become one of the club’s more injury-prone players after an assortment of issues including hip, knee, finger and hamstring complaints.

Orazio Fantasia injured his quad at training. Picture: Getty

Over the off-season he had hip and knee surgery.

He was determined to show he was over that history after an aborted trade to Port Adelaide last year when both Essendon and the Power expected he would make an official request.

Instead he pulled back from asking to move after only recently agreeing to a two-year contract extension through to 2021.

The Dons will hope to avoid another Joe Daniher-style situation this year where they have to decide whether to trade a player who comes out of contract as a free agent in 2021.

The Dons believe Cale Hooker, Patrick Ambrose and Dyson Heppell will all be available for the Round 2 contest against the 1-0 Swans at the SCG.

Ambrose will have missed only one round with a PCL strain and Hooker is back in full training after a summer hip issue.

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