Just outside the AFL top four, Essendon should be boosted by a star’s return

Essendon could end Carlton’s slim finals hopes on Sunday and a key addition will help their cause in a big way.

Kyle Langford has been ‘exceptional’. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Struggling Carlton could have to contend with the return of Essendon best and fairest Peter Wright on Sunday, with the Bombers set to unleash the “frustrated” star forward.

Essendon is on the verge of the top four after Sunday’s last-gasp win over North Melbourne and could put a final nail in Carlton’s finals hopes, with the bumbling Blues having lost seven of their past eight games.

Wright, who hasn’t played a game this season after a shoulder injury on the eve of round 1, was “medically available” to play the Kangaroos, but Bombers coach Brad Scott opted to rest him.

But after Sunday’s clash, Essendon has a bye, and conceding his 203cm star forward, who kicked 53 goals in a breakout season in 2022, was keen to play, Scott would be hard-pressed to make him wait three more weeks.

“There‘s no medical reason why he’s not available but it’s about risk and reward, and we’ll continue to weigh up what that looks like,” Scott said after Sunday’s win.

“He’s now at the stage where he’s getting frustrated and he wants to play, so that’s always a good sign.

Massimo D’Ambrosio after kicking the winning goal. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

“But we’ve been really consistent with our longer-term injuries that we’d be really conservative in getting them back.”

Essendon has been well served by off-season recruit Sam Weideman (13 goals) and Kyle Langford (20 goals), who Scott said had been “exceptional” in Wright‘s absence.

But Scott said that duo would also welcome a return for Wright, who would attract the opposition’s best defender and possibly make the Bombers forward line even more potent.

“They’ve really held down key forward posts and been really threatening in their own right,” Scott said.

“But even Kyle and Sam would say it would be nice to have Pete back.”

Peter Wright is close to a return. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Scott downplayed the subbing out of midfielder Dylan Shiel, who returned against North Melbourne after a fortnight on the sidelines with an ankle injury.

Shiel only had 10 disposals through the opening term and his substitution allowed replacement Massimo D’Ambrosio to kick the matchwinning goal.

“It was (Shiel’s) first game back and to be honest we went through just about our entire team,” Scott said.

“We had to make a decision to get Massimo into the game and he clearly had a big impact, ended up kicking a really important goal.

“It was just a process of elimination and everyone was pretty much important to us.

“It became, ‘Shiel’s missed the last couple so let’s manage him back in’. It’s nothing more or less than that.”