Essendon will be without Darcy Parish for their trip to the Gabba, but it's nothing compared to the wholesale changes Brisbane have been forced to make.
Essendon midfielder Darcy Parish will spend another frustrating stint on the AFL sidelines after being cut down by a new calf injury.
Parish returned from a corked calf in last week's upset nine-point win over Sydney, and he was named to take on Brisbane at the Gabba on Sunday.
But the 24-year-old was sent in for scans late on Thursday after experiencing tightness in the area of his calf that was not related to his previous cork.
Those scans have revealed a strain, forcing Parish to the sidelines yet again.
"Darcy presented with soreness in his calf, in a different area to where he experienced a cork in recent weeks," Essendon football manager Josh Mahoney said.
"As a result, we got the area scanned which has come back to reveal a strain.
"We remain hopeful that Darcy will be in a position to return to play before the end of the home-and-away season, and we will closely monitor his recovery in this time to make that assessment."
The Bombers' blow is nothing compared to COVID-ravaged Brisbane, who have been forced to make wholesale changes.
Harris Andrews, Keidean Coleman, Callum Ah Chee and Dan McStay have been forced into the AFL's health and safety protocols, while Jarrod Berry (hamstring), Jaxon Prior (quad), Dayne Zorko (hamstring) and Daniel Rich (hamstring) are all injured.
Essendon coach Ben Rutten is taking nothing for granted, especially after watching his own team overcome five late changes to beat Hawthorn by 27 points in round eight.
"I think most clubs are going to go through something similar this year," Rutten said.
"For us it was an opportunity to generate some energy and some spirit around that game.
"We performed reasonably well in that game. We're expecting Brisbane at their best.
"They're going to be bringing players in who are in good form. They're going to be desperate to hold their spots. We won't be taking them lightly by any stretch."
