Dyson Heppell named in Essendon team despite last-minute scans on back issue
Essendon captain Dyson Heppell has played down concerns surrounding a back injury after undergoing scans a day out from his side's trip to Adelaide to face the Power.
News of the 28-year-old having scans on his lower back sent shockwaves through the AFL community on Friday, with fears the skipper would be forced to sit out through injury yet again.
Heppell endured a torrid 2020 season after he was limited to just three games due to a nagging foot issue, but dispelled any concerns Bombers fans might have had about his injury woes.
However, the inspirational skipper was named in Essendon's 23 for Round Two, as coach Ben Rutten named an unchanged line-up to take on the Power.
"The foot is happy days," Heppell told reporters.
Heppell collected 25 disposals off the halfback flank for Essendon in their Round One loss to Hawthorn Getty
"I just had a bit of a crook back at training so just come in for a precautionary (scan) to see what's going on. Hopefully be cherry ripe for the weekend."
Heppell has been played in a new halfback role this season by Ben Rutten and enjoyed a solid outing in Essendon's Round One loss to Hawthorn, picking up 25 disposals.
The latest fears surrounding Heppell's health come after he opened up about the foot injury that threatened to derail his career after he played through pain in the 2019 finals.
"What I figured, and all the advice I had been given was that I couldn't do anything worse to it - it was cactus anyway, it was broken, it sucked," he told AFL.com.au.
Heppell missed most of last season with a foot injury that lingered from him playing through pain in 2019 Getty
"Guys have been through it before, I have spoken to other guys who have done it before. The hardest thing was the lack of preparation. You'd fire up on game day, grit it through a game on a few painkillers, then rehab and recovery and not being able to train.
"It is a major distraction trying to perform at your best when you have got something there that is constantly giving you a signal, and a referral, and something that is always on your mind … no amount of painkillers could dull that, no, no, no."
Heppell's Bombers are scheduled to take on Port Adelaide at the Adelaide Oval at 4:35pm on Saturday afternoon.
