Essendon captain Dyson Heppell has confirmed he'll miss the Bombers' season opener against Fremantle next week.
The 27-year-old will miss the Marvel Stadium clash as he continues to manage a foot injury.
“It’s good to make the call (to miss) now. It’s a long season and I’m continuing to manage the rehab around the foot,” Heppell said at the annual AFL Captain's Day on Tuesday.
“It’s probably progressing a bit slower than we’d like, but I’m working closely with the medical team, so we’ll take the conservative approach for round one and go from there.”
Speaking at the 2020 Powercor Country Festival launch before Monday's Marsh Community Series win over Geelong, utility Cale Hooker praised his captain and said he wanted Heppell back to his best.
“He (Heppell) has probably been a bit slower than expected (in his recovery). He was really brave playing injured for us last year, helping us get into finals and having a crack at it,” Hooker said.
“We just want him back to his best, however long that takes, even if that is a few weeks.”
The Bombers will face Fremantle on Saturday, March 21.
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