ESSENDON co-captain Bonnie Toogood isn't easily replaced. In fact, you could argue she's irreplaceable in Natalie Wood's side.

Toogood will miss the next six to eight weeks after scans confirmed an MCL strain for the star forward on Monday.

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It leaves the Bombers with a gaping hole in their front half, so who will they turn to to fill the void?

Toogood has been the focal point for the Bombers in attack since their inception into the competition, always providing a strong presence forward of centre.

The star forward won Essendon's best and fairest last season having averaged 19 disposals a game in a season that included 16 goals.

The 2023 All-Australian also won the Best Club Person Award, which only highlights her importance to the organisation.

But while the Bombers will no doubt miss the heart and soul of the club, her absence will provide an opportunity for someone else to shine. 

Expect young gun Emily Gough to play an important role for Wood's side moving forward.

Gough showed plenty of promising signs on debut against the Dockers, racking up seven disposals, but the former Sandringham Dragon will have to step up in a big way now.

Gough's unique size and athleticism allows her to play across every line, having starred as a winger for the Dragons last year, while also spending time as an intercepting defender and as a lead-up forward.

She was a Swiss army knife at junior level, often being used as the coach's 'break glass in case of emergency' and all signs point towards her being exactly that at Tullamarine this season.

Veteran Sophie Alexander is another name who will need to step up in Toogood's absence. Alexander has booted 27 goals from 53 games throughout her career and is a strong mark overhead, despite being slightly undersized.

Amber Clarke will also be relied upon more often, although she has just entered concussion protocols after being injured in the same incident as Toogood. Clarke has been trialled in a number of roles since arriving at the Hanger but made her name as a star midfielder/forward in her junior years at the Dandenong Stingrays. Expect Paige Scott to take on a bigger role as well when the star youngster returns from a foot injury in about a fortnight's time.

The Bombers would be reluctant to move superstar Daria Bannister into a role as a deeper forward however, given her ability to link play higher up the ground.

Bannister made her return from an ACL injury on the weekend against Fremantle booting two majors from 10 disposals and five tackles. She's one of the Bombers' most important players which is why the club loves the ball in her hands.

Having young ruck Steph Wales spend more time inside 50 is another option for Wood and her coaching staff.

The 21-year-old has quickly developed into one of the game's most exciting young talls given her ability to impact the game in the air and on the ground, but she might be required to provide a target inside 50 now. That would see ruck Matilda Dyke shoulder a greater percentage of the load than usual.

Could the Bombers turn to new recruit Maddi Gay as an interim measure, given her versatility and contest work? It's a more left-field option no doubt, but one Wood and her coaching staff could certainly explore.

Jacqui Vogt, who was an emergency last week, could also be a player the club looks at to help fill the void. Vogt spent time as a forward during her stint at St Kilda and could reprise that role as Wood looks to find new avenues to goal in Toogood's absence.

As for Toogood, expect her to still feature heavily for the Bombers this season, albeit in a different role.

She could reprise a role similar to that of Ange Stannett at Fremantle, who coaches from the bench on gamedays given her unavailability for 2024 due to an ACL injury.

“I'll be on the bench with the girls, conveying messages down from the coaches box, bringing it back to our gameplan and bringing it back to our strengths and our roles, so being able to have those one-on-one chats and really support the girls on game day,” Stannett told AFL.com.au this pre-season.

Carlton superstar Sam Docherty and Hawthorn captain James Sicily are other players to have turned their hand to coaching when dealing with long-term injuries in the men's game.

Toogood herself has a background in coaching already, coordinating the club's women's pathways for their multicultural and Indigenous programs.

There's no clear-cut option for Wood and her coaching staff moving forward without one of the game's biggest stars.

But there's also an opportunity to be grasped by another Bomber, whoever that may be, ready to make their mark on the 2024 season.