Essendon coach Brad Scott has quashed rumours that Essendon have put a line through emerging forward Nate Caddy's season.
The 20-year-old has missed three of the last five games and is currently managing a lingering groin injury.
Despite finals being out of the equation for the injury-hit Bombers, Essendon coach Brad Scott is hopeful Caddy will feature again this year.
“We'll always put his best interests at heart, which obviously for Nate is his long-term interests, but we're not giving up on this season,” Scott said at his mid-week press conference.
“We have got a lot to get out of the balance of these games.
“We had Nate in, then back out, then back in.
“He's a week-to-week proposition in terms of how he recovers from training and games, and we have to make a decision based on how he's feeling and continuity of training.
“He wasn't able to train last week, and we didn't feel like it was the right thing to play him.
“We'll look after his long-term future, but we're not prepared at this stage to say he's played his last game of the year.
“He could play, but he's not at his best, so the decision we've got to make is, 'can he perform?' and, 'are there any other medium to longer term ramifications of pushing him out there when he's sore?'”
Fellow forward Kyle Langford, meanwhile, is a chance to return in the Bombers VFL clash with Geelong on Saturday afternoon, with a quad strain sidelining him since Round 11.
Scott also spoke about the importance of Dylan Shiel, who has been linked to a trade in recent days.
“Dyl and I talk all the time,” Scott said.
“He's had a lack of opportunity at different times throughout the year, but he's a permanent member of the midfield at the moment, so there's certainly no lack of opportunity… Dylan's playing some good footy, and he's still a really capable member of our team, but there are more factors than just his form and his age that come into those discussions.
“Dyl and I are crystal clear on where he's at.
“He's clearly a valued member of our team; he's contracted for the rest of this year and at the end of the year, the list management team and Dyl and his management will have to figure out what's best for his future.”
The Bombers take on Geelong on Friday night.
