Breaking : Injured Bombers gun Ridley out of AFL round one

“Probably have to take a few weeks off,” Ridley said on Monday, wearing a compression bandage around his right quadriceps.

“I won’t be able to play in round one, but hopefully not for too long after that – around three to four weeks.

“It is absolutely frustrating. No player wants to go through the entire preseason only to be injured on the final day of the season.

“This is obviously disappointing. But I’m also optimistic that it won’t be for long, so ideally it’ll only be one or two games until I’m back on the field.”

Ridley’s 2023 season was cut short in round 19 due to a right quad muscle strain, however he noted the strain was “in a different spot”.

The 25-year-old is expected to lead a defensive tall trio this season alongside recruit Ben McKay and finally-fit young gun Zach Reid, who has only played eight games in three years.

“It’s a good mix that complements each other,” Ridley added.

“We’ve got very different strengths, and hopefully we can just get some continuity down there and start to really gel.”

In recent years, the Bombers have been dominated by huge forwards.

With Reid and McKay (both 202cm) on standby to take the big key forwards, 2020 best-and-fairest winner Ridley (192cm) may play a more flexible role when he returns.

“They basically provide some steadiness. Ridley stated, “Both of them are extremely talented players in their own right.”

“Obviously, both are big presences, standing over 200cm tall, so I’m looking forward to playing a lot of football with them in the future.”

“There’s potentially opportunity for that (Ridley zoning off) – it depends on the opposition week by week.

“We can help each other. Ben is a very capable interceptor. He’s proved over the last few years that he’s right up there in terms of interceptions.

“So hopefully I can help him just as much as he helps me.”

Ridley and his colleagues were participating in Essendon’s membership telethon, days after the defender extended his contract until 2029.

“I certainly couldn’t see myself playing anywhere else at the moment,” he added.

“Especially with the signatures we’ve had over the last few years, it gives me a lot of confidence that the club’s going in the right direction.”