Jordan Ridley has been dealt another injury blow, with the Essendon defender set for a six week stint on the sidelines.
That is according to the Herald Sun, who are reporting Ridley has sustained a fresh calf injury suffered during training on Friday.
Scans revealed the soft tissue blow, with the Bombers overhauling their fitness staff in the off-season to counteract their consistent injury issues.
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But Ridley, who reportedly met with the Lions last season after being frustrated with his injury situation, will now once again sit out.
He also suffered a hamstring injury prior to Christmas and he’s expected to miss at least the first month of the 2026 season.
The 27-year-old has managed only 19 games across his last two campaigns.
FRESH ALL-AUSTRALIAN SELECTOR NAMED
The newest All-Australian selector has been revealed.
Plus, St Kilda and Gold Coast were both hit with concussion in the clubs’ match simulation hitout on Thursday night, while the Saints’ coach revealed Max King’s return timeline.
Fremantle great David Mundy has been added to the All-Australian selection panel.
That’s according to SEN’s Sam Edmund, with Mundy to replace Sydney chief executive Matthew Pavlich as a Western Australia representative.
Mundy is the Dockers’ games record-holder with 376 to his name, and he was selected to the 2015 All-Australian team.
It means there’s one vacant spot remaining on the panel, with Nathan Buckley’s spot to be filled after the former Pies coach took up an assistant coaching role with Geelong.
Last year’s All-Australian selection panel comprised Andrew Dillon (Chair), Eddie Betts, Jude Bolton, Kane Cornes, Abbey Holmes, Glen Jakovich, Laura Kane, Pavlich and Buckley.
SAINT, SUN RACING OPENING RD CLOCK
Despite thrashing the Suns by 71 points at People First Stadium, the Saints didn’t come away unscathed, with recruit Jack Silvagni going down with concussion.
In the first quarter, Silvagni was the victim of friendly fire with teammate Cal Wilkie, with the pair colliding in a marking contest that left the former worse for wear.
St Kilda confirmed Silvagni had entered protocols, meaning the ex-Blue will spend the next 12 days out of key action, leaving him just a few more after that to get right for the Saints’ Opening Round bout with Collingwood.
But Silvagni wasn’t the only concussion victim on Thursday night, with versatile tall Sun Ethan Read also not surviving the first quarter.
Read’s head hit the turf hard after he fell backwards attempting to mark the ball in the opening term.
He’ll also enter protocols and miss Gold Coast’s official pre-season game against Brisbane next week, with the club’s Opening Round match against Geelong just 14 days away on March 6.
Meanwhile, Ross Lyon expects Max King to be able to return to play a month into the season.
Lyon flagged Round 4 as when King could return from a calf injury, at which point the discussion would be around whether or not he’s injected straight back into the senior side.
“It’s a two-week calf,” Lyon told AFL Media.
“He will play football this year … it’s not unexpected he would have a soft tissue; it’s a slight calf. He was aiming for round zero or one, we think it’s Round 4.
“And then from there we have a decision: is it VFL or AFL because he has missed a lot of work. We can set him up to succeed.”
Prior to his calf setback, King had been coming back from persistent knee issues, having not played a single match last year after a combined 23 appearances over the previous two seasons.
King penned an eight-year St Kilda extension in late 2024.
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