Michael Hurley continues to lead the Essendon defence in the absence of the injured Dustin Fletcher and the forward bound Cale Hooker. 

The Bomber defender kept North Melbourne’s Jarrad Waite to one goal and 12 possessions on Friday night.

At the same time, Hurley gathered 24 possessions and kicked a goal of his own.

“I had him in the best four players on the ground,” Essendon great Matthew Lloyd said.

“His ability to come over the top with a big thumping spoil, his ball use.

“He’s playing on forwards who are dangerous – they’re having a handful of possessions, he’s having 20 plus. So it just shows the form he’s in.” 

Hurley has remained in defence despite a key forward position opening up when Jake Carlisle went down with an ankle injury.

“A lot of people want him in the forward line but I think he’s the type of player you just let settle and play in defence where he’s very happy,” Lloyd said.

Hooker is the man who has filled the vacant forward post. 

He took 13 marks against the Kangaroos and has had 12 shots at goal since he moved forward against St Kilda. 

In that time Joe Daniher has kicked eight goals.

“He’s made Joey a much better player in the last three weeks since he’d come into the forward line,” Lloyd said.

“We’ll do a lot of work with his kicking for the rest of the year so he can keep floating forward and be that swingman that the club’s looking for.”