ESSENDON will be forced into at least one change for its match against Port Adelaide on Saturday afternoon but has a good group of potential inclusions returning from injury.
Dynamic forward Irving Mosquito ruptured his ACL in the Bombers’ poor loss to Geelong last Sunday and he will be sidelined for an extended period.
The nature of the loss may lead to more than just one change at the selection table.
The biggest inclusion could be star forward Joe Daniher who was managed for the loss against the Cats after playing the previous two games against Hawthorn and West Coast, his first since Round 9, 2019.
Talls Aaron Francis and Tom Bellchambers are chances to return this week from hamstring tendonitis and knee pain respectively, but will need to prove their fitness in main training.
The Bombers are also likely to have young forwards Jayden Laverde and Ned Cahill available after overcoming injuries of their own.
Essendon has already confirmed David Zaharakis and Tom Hird won’t feature again this season, while Orazio Fantasia’s calf injury means he will be unlikely to play again in 2020.
The other big news out of the Hangar is the retirement of Irish recruit Connor McKenna, effective immediately. McKenna announced his decision to return home to be with family on Tuesday, at the age of 24.
Port Adelaide holds an overall record of 17 wins and 14 losses against the Bombers but prior to last season’s 59-point win had lost the previous three encounters.
The game will be Charlie Dixon’s 150th in the AFL.
The Bombers will name their side on Friday evening for the game at Adelaide Oval the following evening.
