ESSENDON'S leading goalkicker Joe Daniher will be available for the start of the club's pre-season despite undergoing wrist surgery.
The 22-year-old went under the knife after the club's best-and-fairest count two weeks ago to fix the issue that had bugged him at stages across the season.
But Essendon's football manager Rob Kerr told AFL.com.au that Daniher's off-season program is unlikely to be hindered by the problem.
"It shouldn't have any major impact on his pre-season. He had it through the season but it was one of those ones that nagged away so he's had that fixed up," Kerr said.
"He'll be right and it shouldn't impact on his pre-season at all."
Daniher finished equal runner-up in the Bombers' best and fairest and won the club's goalkicking for the third straight season in a promising 2016 campaign.
He kicked a career-high haul of 43 goals, becoming the first Essendon player to top 40 goals since Matthew Lloyd in 2008.
The Bombers have escaped a raft of post-season injury layoffs, with ruckman/forward Shaun McKernan the only other player to need surgery since Essendon's season closed.
The former Crow had an ankle operation on a problem that Kerr said "had been bothering him for some time" and he will also have a wrist injury rectified.
McKernan's future is unclear, with the 26-year-old uncontracted for next season.
Defender James Gwilt is the only player who has been delisted so far this off-season by the Bombers, with Tayte Pears and Adam Cooney announcing their retirements.
Daniher right for pre-season despite surgery
Dons forward fixes wrist issue, right for pre-season