Johns has constantly battled serious hip injuries for the past three years and he underwent another operation mid-season. It finished his 2004 season - a year in which he played limited football for the Bendigo Bombers.
""The early signs are that he is progressing well and if things continue along those lines he might be playing by May next year and obviously resume running and full training a couple of months before that,"" Essendon assistant coach Mark Harvey said.
""We have high expectations of Courtney if we can get him fit and playing. He is taking up a spot on the list and thus far the return has been minimal. However the way he has conducted himself during the time he has been sidelined has been sensational and it ensured in some ways that we were prepared to stick by him.""
Harvey said Cupido's one-year renewal might not be a bad thing for the 22-year-old. Cupido struggled to get fully fit last season and his output was well short of what he provided in 2003.
""Sometimes players needs to live on the edge,"" Harvey said.
