MICHAEL Hurley has been discharged from hospital for a second time as he looks to finally overcome a nasty infection.
But Essendon has put no timeline on Hurley’s return to the club, conscious of the seriousness of the ailment and the need for the veteran to get back to full health before contemplating a comeback to the game.
Hurley, 30, was released from care last night after doctors worked to get his infection back to a manageable level.
The defender was admitted to hospital for a week earlier this month after contracting an infection in his hip.
He was released on February 7, only to go back last Saturday when the condition worsened again.
Bombers football staff have given Hurley space while he works with club doctors to rehabilitate.
Unable to train for three weeks and essentially bed-ridden for much of that time, Hurley’s excellent pre-season has come to a screeching halt and he has understandably lost a lot of conditioning.
The veteran was said to have been in great shape, mentally as much as physically, prior to the infection scare.
Hurley retained his spot in the club’s leadership group and had been training as a forward in a positional switch that had given him fresh motivation ahead of the 2021 season.