Former Essendon captain Zach Merrett was absent from the Bombers annual photo day.
Speaking following the photo, winger Xavier Duursma hosed down speculation about his absence following an off-season where he attempted to depart the club. Ruck Nick Bryan was also ill.
“I think he's just sick from all reports, I think he should be OK, he's just a bit sick today,” Duursma said of Merrett.
“Since Day 1 in November and December, he's been back into it and whatever happens in the off-season has been put behind us, we've all connected back together again. He's training fantastic and leads from the front on ground.
“There's a couple of boys sick with gastro.”
Stalwart Dyson Heppell was at The Hangar watching training ahead of his second season at Port Melbourne and first as Collingwood development coach.
Midfielder Darcy Parish was the standout of the session as he looks to put a string of soft tissue injuries behind him. He has so far had an uninterrupted pre-season and will have a big role to play in the midfield this year, with Nic Martin missing the season.
Archie Roberts and Nate Caddy were others to catch the eye.
Jye Caldwell, Hussien El Achkar and Sullivan Robey were among those running laps.
Caldwell copped a knock to the knee during Friday's match simulation and had it heavily strapped, while El Achkar was having his loads managed, and Robey is building back up towards full fitness after a back injury in the early part of pre-season.
Duursma played 22 games in 2025, the most he has ever played across the course of his career.
Not since his first season, 2019, has he managed more than 15.
“I was proud of how I handled the year and thought I had my best year at AFL level across the whole season," he said.
“I've done the work and hopefully I can keep building on it, I'm looking forward to the year ahead.
Duursma also offered an insight into a player's perspective of the new AFL headgear standards, introduced last week.
The first-of-its-kind standards developed in collaboration with a biomechanics expert support the development of appropriate headgear.
“It's a tough one to answer. Obviously we want to protect the players' heads as much as we can, especially with all the concussion stuff,” Duursma said.
“I think this is the right way to go and hopefully concussion will continue to be a priority of the AFL and AFLPA because we want the players to be safe.”
