https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/ess...a85f0a109f1eed

It is only December, but Essendon is in the middle of an injury crisis right now.
Only half of the Bombers’ list is currently in full training, with the other half recovering from off-season surgery or recent setbacks.

All-Australian key defender Cale Hooker (hip) and Crichton Medallist David Zaharakis (knee) are the latest stars to be hit by the injury curse.

Hooker and Zaharakis both underwent arthroscopes this week and won’t return to training until the New Year.

Joe Daniher (groin), Dyson Heppell (foot), Michael Hurley (shoulder) Orazio Fantasia (hip) and Matt Guelfi (knee) are all on the sidelines.

Port Adelaide great Kane Cornes is alarmed by the size of Essendon’s injury list and thinks the Bombers could struggle to compete in 2020, much like Melbourne in 2019.

“If there’s a club that is set to fall from grace, it could be the Bombers (in 2020)," Cornes told SEN.

“There are warning signs that you can read throughout a pre-season. Last week Essendon revealed it has only got 23 fit players in full training and a long list of players recovering from in-season or post-season surgery.

“We saw what happened to Melbourne last year when no one completed the pre-season. They had about the same amount of players training.”

Cornes said clubs need 70 per cent of the list to complete 80 per cent of the pre-season program to be prepared for a full season.

Right now, that doesn’t look possible at Tullamarine.

“The rule that we used to work off is you need about 70% of your players to complete about 80% of the pre-season to have a really solid foundation to set yourself up for a good year. That’s not going to be the case for Essendon,” Cornes said.

“There’s an injury crisis there.”


The poor Bummers.