Nick Bryan will miss the rest of Essendon’s 2025 campaign after scans confirmed an ACL rupture for the young ruckman.

The 23-year-old suffered the injury in the first quarter of the Dons’ 39-point win over Melbourne on Saturday night. 

Subbed out of the game following the incident, scans on Monday morning confirmed the Club’s initial concerns of an ACL injury.

The setback comes at an unfortunate time for Bryan, who’d established himself as a key contributor in the Bombers’ side at the back end of last year and the early stages of this season, having featured in eight consecutive games for the first time in his young career. 

“This is obviously a disappointing setback for Nick, who’d been in good form for us,” GM – AFL Daniel McPherson said. 

“While it’s frustrating for him given how hard he’s worked to earn consistent opportunities at senior level, we have no doubt that Nick will attack his rehab just as strongly and put himself in a great position to return in good shape next season. 

“From a team perspective, we’ll wrap our arms around Nick and support him through this period."