ESSENDON has officially lost ruckman David Hille and midfielder Courtenay Dempsey for the remainder of the season, but is optimistic defender Dustin Fletcher will miss just one week with a groin injury.
Bombers doctor Bruce Reid confirmed Fletcher sustained a right adductor strain during the first half of the side's 56-point loss to Adelaide on Saturday. The fullback warmed the bench after the main break of the match at Telstra Dome.
He also said Fletcher has been employing heavy ice treatment for the past 48 hours and could yet figure in the Bombers' final home-and-away match against St Kilda.
"He had a similar injury at this same time last year and missed one week and then played in [James] Hird's farewell game, so the best case scenario is that he could be back for round 22, but it is probably unlikely," Reid said on the club's website.
"We will get him moving soon and, hopefully, he's straight line running by the end of the week and we will look at increasing his work after that.
"But if he's no good next week then that's his season."
The news was worse for Hille and Dempsey, who have both sustained more serious injuries and won't play again this year.
Hille finished Saturday's game with a fractured bone in his left hand, and will undergo surgery on Tuesday. The ruckman has had a stellar year, and was rated a possibility for All-Australian selection this season.
"He will have a couple of screws inserted into his hand and he will miss the season," Reid said.
"We will put a couple of lightweight screws in which means he will be right in five weeks. The small screws will hold it still and he will be fine."
Dempsey, 20, has fractured his left fibula and will spend six to eight weeks in recovery.
"He was running along and the fibula simply cracked. He thinks he might have gotten a knock earlier and then was running along a heard a crack – it's very unusual for that to happen," Reid said.
"It's just a crack so it will heal on its own but he will be on crutches for the next week and then will wear the moon boot for four weeks or so.
"He needs to have no real impact for six weeks and we will do an x-ray then to see if it’s healing properly. There will be no hurry for him to recover but he will be running by pre-season."
Hille and Dempsey join Alwyn Davey (knee), Bachar Houli (groin), David Myers (foot), Jason Winderlich (back), Scott Gumbleton (collarbone), Jay Neagle (ankle), Tayte Pears (hip), Courtney Johns (knee), Andrew Lee (shoulder), Darcy Daniher (back) and Tom Hislop (hip) as Bombers ruled out for the final two games.
On Saturday, coach Matthew Knights said he was hopeful Kyle Reimers (hamstring) and Mark McVeigh (knee) would return this week, but believes spearhead Scott Lucas (back/knee/ankle) has also played his last game for the year.
