ESSENDON is confident forward Michael Hurley has escaped serious damage after hurting his wrist in the dying stages of Saturday night's 43-point win over Gold Coast.
Hurley came off and went straight into the rooms as the clock wound down in the fourth quarter of the match at Etihad Stadium.
Having already battled problems with his wrist and ankles this year, the sight of Hurley leaving the field seemingly injured again put a momentary black cloud over the Bombers' win.
But coach James Hird is confident the injury, while to the same wrist he hurt earlier this season, is not serious and is in a different spot.
"He's had an old scaphoid injury on that hand going back a long time," Hird said.
"He got hit on that injury. The doctor's pretty confident he'll get up in 10 days to play against West Coast [on June 27].
"He has wrists that have been operated on previously, so when they get a knock on them they get pretty sore but Bruce [Reid] is pretty confident he'll be right in 10 days' time."
The Bombers enter the bye on nine wins after their triumph over the Suns, who had injury issues of their own with Michael Rischitelli (elbow) and Tom Lynch (knee) their headline casualties, but Hird wasn't pleased with all of Saturday night's performance.
He said the Suns had proved far better opponents than in previous clashes. The last of those at Etihad Stadium came in 2011, when the Bombers won by 139 points.
"There were periods in the game we didn't like and there were probably periods in the game that they didn't like, in the way both sides played," he said.
"But considering their form against some really good opposition ... over the last four weeks, we knew it was a tough game and we prepared accordingly.
"Probably in the past you've come in to play the Suns and you've rested players ... there was no doubt, this was not that sort of game.
"We knew we'd be tested ... our boys had to get out and play some good football."
Second-gamer Joe Daniher kicked three goals in the first half and took eight marks, thrilling Essendon fans who have waited half a season for the boom youngster to be unveiled at senior level.
Hird said Daniher was doing all he could to put his hand up for the Bombers' round 14 trip to Patersons Stadium to play the Eagles.
"It was good - the first half, he kicked those three goals, took a few marks," he said.
"Joey just has to get the AFL tempo and consistency for a whole game and that will come but I think Essendon supporters got a glimpse of the future right there, in that half.
"As a coach it's very exciting to see a young kid come in who can mark the ball like that - no double grabs.
"We have a huge game against West Coast in 10 days' time over at Subiaco and he's well and truly in the mix for that game."
Jennifer Phelan is a reporter for AFL Media. Follow her on Twitter @AFL_JenPhelan
