Essendon assistant coach Matt Egan believes the weight shed by key forward Michael Hurley in the off-season will assist his game significantly in 2013.

Hurley has impressed on the training track this pre-season after undergoing wrist surgery in the off-season.

“I think having the wrist operation at the end of last year, he couldn’t do any weights over the off-season so he naturally dropped a few (kilograms),” Egan said.

“You don’t want to go too far the other way but I think he realised how much that actually helps his running game.”

“There is no doubt he is going to have to put a few back on just to mix it with the big guys.”

Hurley booted 26 goals in 16 matches during an injury-interrupted 2012.

Egan, the club's forward line coach, said the 22 year-old is looking in the best condition he has ever seen him.

“He looks like a different person this year and he’s running the best he has probably ever run,” he said.

“I think there is no doubt being to run across the ground is going to help his game”.