'Struggling to field a team': Inescapable spotlight looms as Essendon dealt another 'horror' blow
Essendon has been dealt yet another cruel injury blow, with rising star forward Nate Caddy set to miss the club's round 19 clash with GWS.
Nine's chief AFL reporter Tom Morris believes the 20-year-old is dealing with groin soreness, something that would concern Bomber fans given the spate of injuries the club has been hit with this season.
The Dons lost Nic Martin (ACL) and Will Setterfield (foot) for the season during their loss to Richmond and will now be without Caddy.
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Nic Martin suffered a torn ACL against Richmond. Getty
With no relief in sight, Caddy's cruel luck will see Essendon's injury list balloon to at least 14, meaning 30 per cent of their list is unavailable.
They have eight players confirmed to be ruled out for the season, including the likes of Sam Draper, Zach Reid and Nick Bryan, while Ben McKay, Darcy Parish and Harrison Jones are still listed as "TBC".
Essendon great Matthew Lloyd cannot believe what is unfolding at the club this year.
"It's just been a horror year, they'd nearly be struggling to field a team with the injuries they have got," Lloyd told 3AW on Monday.
"Four players have done ACLs, there's a lot of soft tissue injuries as well.
"The sooner this year comes to an end, the better it will be for the Bombers to start fresh next year."
Harrison Jones of the Bombers leaves the field on a stretcher. Getty
The oddity in this Essendon situation is they may have as many as six prime time games in the final six rounds of the season.
They have Thursday or Friday night games in all but one round between now and round 23, and will likely feature in prime time twice in round 24, given they have to play twice.
This is as a result of their Opening Round clash with Gold Coast being rescheduled. They will likely face the Blues and the Suns at the beginning and end of round 24 respectively.
The AFL's decision to spotlight Essendon and Carlton heavily in the second half of the season with their rolling fixture has come under heavy fire, with Eddie McGuire previously calling on them to make sudden changes.
Despite the unfolding turmoil at the Bombers, they will not be able to escape the spotlight.
