Daniher or Neagle to fill Lloyd's shoes

ESSENDON could turn to teenager Darcy Daniher to fill the massive shoes of injured skipper Matthew Lloyd as the Bombers try to get their campaign back on track in Perth this weekend.

Lloyd has been ruled out for at least a week with a bruised heel sustained in the Bombers' five-point loss to Richmond.

Essendon football manager Paul Hamilton said Daniher, 19, and Jay Neagle, 22, would come under consideration for the match against West Coast on Sunday at Subiaco Oval.

Hamilton said both players had been showing good form playing up forward in the VFL.

Despite the Bendigo Bombers being beaten by 70 points on Sunday, Neagle booted two goals and was named in the best players.

“Jay will be in the mix,” Hamilton said.

“We've got a couple of young guys we're keen to have a look at [and] with Lloydy going out there is going to be an opportunity there.”

Lloyd wasn't the only concern at Windy Hill on Monday morning.

Andrew Lovett arrived at the team's recovery session on crutches after being crunched in a tackle late in Sunday's game, while Alwyn Davey, Mark McVeigh and Angus Monfries were limping noticeably.

However Hamilton doesn’t believe the club to have sustained any serious damage from Sunday’s loss to the Tigers.

“We’ve got a lot of sore players but that’s not unusual,” he said.

“It’s the day after a game … our main concern is probably Matthew Lloyd.

“History tells us you are going to miss at least one [week], possibly two, maybe more.

“It is very much an individual thing when it comes to bruised heels, but I think we can put a line through his name for this week. I think that’s pretty well definite. He’s pretty sore this morning.

“The other players, they’re all just knocks and bruises and corks and at this stage … we’re not expecting anyone else to miss at the moment.”