Essendon may be forced to face the Sydney Swans without young key forward Nate Caddy, with fresh concerns emerging about his fitness ahead of Saturday’s clash at the SCG.
Caddy, who has played 17 of a possible 18 games this season, missed training on Wednesday due to soreness, according to Seven’s Mitch Cleary. The 19-year-old was managed in Round 19 before returning last week in the Bombers’ heavy defeat to the Bulldogs, and now appears in doubt once again.
It's another blow for a club already buckling under the weight of long-term injuries, with senior defender Jordan Ridley officially ruled out for the rest of the year after suffering a third hamstring setback.
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'Rock bottom ... and now even worse'
Ridley’s absence compounds an already dire situation for Brad Scott’s side. Essendon’s injury list has spiralled in recent months, and with little depth to draw on in the VFL, options are thinning fast.
Caddy’s potential omission would leave Essendon even more exposed up forward, where they’re already relying on a developing structure. The club could turn to sub Oskar Smartt or look at Alwyn Davey Jnr, who was solid in the VFL with 19 disposals and six intercepts.
But with the Bombers now firmly out of finals contention, any further absences, especially Caddy’s, will only deepen the challenge heading into the final month of a punishing season.