Essendon ruckman Matthew Leuenberger’s season is in doubt after suffering a minor calf strain in the side’s 22-point victory over Port Adelaide on Friday night.
The match was just Leuenberger’s second senior game of the season after replacing fellow injured tall Tom Bellchambers following encouraging signs at VFL level.
The veteran had performed well before he came from the field early in the third term with the injury and will now rely on his teammates to keep the VFL season alive if he is to return to the field this year.
“Matthew strained his calf during the AFL game. It’s a low-grade soleus strain which would be a minimum of three weeks (on the sidelines) we would have thought,” Physical Performance Manager Justin Crow said.
“He’ll be rehabilitating that and we’ll see about his availability if the VFL is still going deep into the finals.”
The VFL Bombers secured a finals berth with a narrow defeat of the Northern Blues on Saturday and Crow said the players made it through largely unscathed.
“The group playing VFL seem to have got through without too much trouble.”
Running defender Ben McNiece is a chance to return to the line-up following a minor knee injury sustained in the senior side’s victory over St Kilda in round 21.
With the AFL season now over for the club’s senior team, Crow is tasked with meeting all players to discuss the possibility of off-season surgeries.
He said the meetings are ongoing and only Bellchambers and rookie Luke Lavender have been sent for surgery to date.
“The AFL group has pulled up from the season and are now going through their medical exit interviews – the ones that are unavailable for VFL (finals).
“So far we’ve had Tom Bellchambers and Luke Lavender off for different types of shoulder surgery.
“Otherwise no one else is headed for surgery at this stage, but with a few to get through still.
“They’re different operations. Tom is a clavicle resection, he’ll be progressing back into contact up until Christmas and Luke Lavender will be similar, he had a shoulder reconstruction.”
The VFL side is set to face Collingwood at Stannards Stadium from 2.10pm on Sunday.
