Defender Zach Reid sent for surgery as injuries hit Essendon, Sydney hard
The Bombers have been hit harder than most teams by injury in 2025 and have also sent midfielder Jye Caldwell under the knife to repair his syndesmosis injury.
Reid got Essendon fans excited this season after stringing together 10 games, having played just eight since being drafted in 2020 amid countless injury issues, and he was given a three-year contract extension.
But after experiencing some hamstring awareness towards the end of last Wednesday's main training session, follow-up scans confirmed a minor strain.
After consulting specialists, surgery was deemed the best option, ending Reid's season.
Essendon football boss Daniel McPherson is disappointed about the latest setback for Reid but confident in what the future holds for him.
'It's a tough blow for 'Reidy' to be ruled out for the year. However, we believe the surgical option offers him the best chance for a full recovery,' McPherson said.
'He's demonstrated exactly why he's so highly rated during the first 11 games this season. He remains a key part of our future.'
Caldwell suffered his syndesmosis injury late in the fourth term of Saturday's loss to the Gold Coast Suns when his ankle was caught beneath him in a tackle.
He will have surgery in the coming days with a return-to-play timeline yet to be determined.
Youngster Nik Cox was also ordered by the AFL's concussion panel to stand down for the rest of 2025 as part of a return to play program.
Meanwhile, Sydney's hopes of making a run to the finals have been hit hard, losing key forward Joel Amartey for 8-12 weeks with a high-grade adductor strain and Tom Papley will miss 2-3 weeks with a hamstring injury.
Both injuries were sustained in Sunday's win over Fremantle that pushed last year's grand finalists to 10th on the ladder with a 7-9 record.
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