Cult hero’s return could decide finals fate

Draper, who hasn’t played since Round 13 due to a hip issue, took full part in match simulation at Essendon’s main training session on Wednesday morning. He was joined by Dylan Shiel, Jake Stringer and Jye Caldwell in a sign all are available to play the Giants.

Essendon has won four of nine games without cult hero Draper but remain in finals contention after close back-to-back wins over cellar dwellers West Coast and North Melbourne.

The Bombers sit two points outside the top eight and will need to beat GWS in Sydney before facing Collingwood in a round 24 clash reminiscent of Carlton’s final-round showdown against the Magpies last year where the Blues needed a win to play finals.

After telling his troops following the Kangaroos win to leave no stone unturned in their pursuit of finals football, Scott said they would embrace the significance of the next two games but added it would not lead them to risk playing the likes of Draper or Stringer if unfit.

“To me, rolling the dice is saying, ‘No, they’re not right, but we’re going to hope they can somehow get through the game’, and we’re just not going to put ourselves in that position,” Scott said.

“These opportunities don’t come around very often, we’ve been working very hard since October last year to improve. We talk about our development focus which is still really strong, but everyone knows the equation in the last two weeks.

“We’re not living in our own little vacuum where we don’t know the circumstances. We know it’s a big game, we know there’s a lot riding on it, and we really relish the opportunity to play in a game like this.”

Scott confirmed Jye Caldwell would return from his hip injury “barring any incident” at training, but the trio facing lingering injuries would be assessed further.

He said Draper would give a significant boost to the group if he returned, even if it did not necessarily mean a statistical hike in the middle of the ground.

“It’s intangible, what he brings … we know it’s there, to describe it is a little bit more difficult, but there’s no doubt when he’s around the group, and we’ve had him on the bench in games for that reason,” Scott said.

“He brings an intangible energy to our group that is hard to measure but we know that it’s there.”

“We’d obviously be boosted with some inclusions, but right across the board we want to improve the way we’re playing. Qualifying is one thing, but playing a brand of footy that’s good enough to be there, that’s probably more important.”

Scott also said the players had been boosted by the return of assistant coach Dale Tapping after he stepped away from the club in June to focus on his treatment for a type of blood cancer.

Tappin received an “incredible” ovation from the players on his arrival, with an immediate return to the coaches’ box to come against GWS on Saturday.

“Having Taps back, for what he brings from a coaching perspective is really important, but again another intangible, a bit of energy for our group,” he said.

“He can talk a bit more to the detail if he so chooses, but he certainly has clearance to get on the plane and come to Sydney this weekend and be in our coaches’ box, so we’re very hopeful that he’s back permanently.”

Originally published as Essendon ruckman Sam Draper set to boost Bombers in must-win clash