ESSENDON has a young coaching staff and just as it seemed a few of them might be contemplating pulling on the boots a-la-Kevin Sheedy a few rounds into his first year at the club in 1981, the club's injury list is beginning to shrink.

Only seven rounds into the season, the Dons are scraping the bottom of the player-stocks barrel. Against Port Adelaide, three players made their AFL debut — Jarrod Atkinson, David Myers and Darcy Daniher — while Jay Neagle played his second senior game. Three others had played fewer than 10 games. The Dons have used 35 players already this year.

Essendon lost by 64 points, having gone down by 73 to Collingwood in the previous round's annual Anzac Day game. With Adam McPhee and Nathan Lovett-Murray hit with one-game suspensions out of the Port game, the number of senior players on the injury, illness and suspension list hit 15. Ten of those would arguably be in the Dons' best 22.

Courtenay Dempsey and Scott Gumbleton received further injuries as they neared the end of recovery from serious hamstring tears.

The break has been kind to Essendon, in the manner of a dazed boxer taking the mandatory eight count. Up to six senior players could resume against Sydney this week, with others expected back for the following game against Adelaide.

Leroy Jetta, who played his first game back from a hamstring injury against Port Adelaide, got another game into his legs with Bendigo in the VFL on the weekend. Kyle Reimers, who missed the Port game with a foot injury, also played in the VFL.

Dustin Fletcher and Mark McVeigh head the list of possible returns against the Swans. Fletcher suffered a groin injury on Anzac Day and McVeigh tore his hamstring against the Western Bulldogs in round four.

Jason Winderlich, injured against Collingwood, could also return as could Sam Lonergan, another hamstring victim from the Bulldogs game. Adam Ramanauskas, who missed the Port game with a virus, will also be back.

Scott Lucas, who suffered a knee injury in the opening minutes of the season against North Melbourne, could be fit to return the week of the Adelaide game.

Unless there is a significant number of new injuries in the next couple of weeks, the worst of Essendon's injury crisis may have passed.