Essendon boom youngster Sullivan Robey has avoided a major knee injury, though the Bombers could yet draw a line through their prized draftee's season.
No.9 draft pick Robey, a powerful midfielder/forward, had to be helped off after injuring his right knee in a tackle in the third quarter of Essendon's 93-point loss to Hawthorn on Saturday.
Interim coach Dean Solomon said the 18-year-old, a rare bright spark for the Bombers this season, had avoided the dreaded ACL tear.
"They've ruled out the ACL. So there's nothing to that level, which is a great thing. But it didn't look good," Solomon said.
Robey will still go for scans on the painful knee injury and even a lesser tear - like a medial ligament - could yet end his season given Essendon have just four games left.
"They've ruled out the ACL."
— AFL (@AFL) July 25, 2026
Dean Solomon with an update on injured duo Jordan Ridley and Sullivan Robey.#AFLHawksDons pic.twitter.com/6cbQKV5M0s
"For a young player, to see him go down like he did - he was in a fair bit of pain on the bench - so obviously, yes, we're concerned about him," Solomon said.
"But fingers crossed we get a good outcome there. Doctors seem to be reasonably positive. Nothing too major, which is a good thing.
"But again, if he is sore or there's any risk, we won't be pushing him too hard for the remainder of this year.
"But let's just wait to see what we can identify from the scans and then go from there. But I think anything major has been ruled out. But again, we'll wait for the scans."
Luckless defender Jordan Ridley came off in the second quarter with a foot injury.
Jordan Ridley (foot) will not take any further part in #AFLHawksDons.
— AFL (@AFL) July 25, 2026
Hawthorn's Mitch Lewis (concussion) is also out of the contest. pic.twitter.com/Y5MoUHVl2l
The Bombers hold out hope he feature in next Sunday's game against Adelaide.
"He landed and felt something on the bottom of his foot tweak or pull," Solomon said.
"They're unsure what it is at the moment, but I don't think they're majorly concerned about anything.
"But we'll have scans in the next day or two and identify what the problem is and fingers crossed, best case scenario from what they've said is he might be available next week - fingers crossed.
"But we'll wait and see what the outcome of the scans are."
Archer Day-Wicks came off with a "hip pointer" and returned to the fray before the Bombers chose to rest and ice him late.
Solomon said Sam Durham had spent time forward in the last quarter as he was also sore.
He praised forward Nate Caddy for fighting through a difficult game to kick three goals.
Caddy was taken to hospital during last week's three-point win over GWS due to an elevated heart rate but was given the all-clear and able to play.
