Bye boosts stretched Bombers

ESSENDON remains confident its trio of injured stars will be fit to tackle Sydney next Saturday despite only one taking to the training track yesterday.

Michael Hurley (calf), Cale Hooker (lower-leg bone bruising) and Orazio Fantasia (hamstring) remain under injury clouds for the club’s elimination final with the Swans, but the Bombers said all were recovering well.

Fantasia was the only one of the three on the track at Tullamarine yesterday morning.

The clever forward completed light running duties away from the main group.

Hurley was off-site for an appointment and will instead train today while the Bombers continue to take a cautious approach with Hooker, who looms as the biggest concern.

“Cale, we’ll take it pretty easy with him,” Essendon football boss Rob Kerr said.

“His issue is we just want to manage the load and give him plenty of rest and give him the best opportunity. Things are progressing well, we’re happy with that, but we’re pretty conservative in the approach.”

Kerr said Hurley was “progressing on-track” and had increased his running this week, while Fantasia lifted his running yesterday and reporting “no more soreness” in his hamstring.

The club expects all three will take on the Swans, but their exact fates will be determined in coming days.

“We remain hopeful all three will be right to go,” Kerr said. “Next Wednesday will be the day where they’ll be assessed, but we’re pretty optimistic.

“We’ve got great confidence in the medical team and the strength and conditioning boys in making sure the preparation’s spot on. Next week will just be about getting the touch right for those players.”

Former Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy said there were similarities between this year’s Bombers and the side he coached to the 1993 premiership, adding “anything can happen” in finals.

“The Bombers have got just as good a chance as anybody,” Sheedy said.