Star Essendon key forward Joe Daniher's season has been cut short for a second straight year after his troublesome groin problems flared again.
The Bombers have ruled Daniher out for the rest of the season due to a recurrence of his osteitis pubis injury, which limited him to just seven games in 2018.
Essendon football boss Dan Richardson said the latest problem had flared in the last week .
Daniher most likely will need surgery and Richardson said they expect he will be back for Round 1 next season.
Richardson said the latest setback was not career-threatening.
Given the recurrence, Richardson was asked if he was frustrated at the inevitable suggestion that the Bombers had mismanaged Daniher's original injury and his return to AFL.
He is adamant the Bombers would not have done anything differently.
"'I do (feel frustrated) in a way because I know how thorough, caring, knowledgeable our medical team is,"' he said.
"I know how many people outside just our club that they've spoken to.
"I don't think it's an accurate statement - I can understand the question, I can understand you have to ask that question, but I don't think it's accurate to say this has been mismanaged in any way."
Richardson also said in a club statement that over the last few weeks, Daniher had some loss of power and strength in his groin area.
"While it's incredibly disappointing to lose a player of Joe's calibre for the remainder of the season, the decision was made with the long-term health and welfare of Joe as the utmost priority," he added.
The news that Daniher's season is over comes two days after Essendon also confirmed that reigning club best and fairest champion Devon Smith wouldn't return from knee surgery until 2020.
The Bombers are struggling for consistency with four wins from nine games in a season where they had high hopes of a finals return.
Daniher and Smith's season-ending layoffs are a severe dent to this year's campaign ahead of their annual Dreamtime At The 'G clash with Richmond on Saturday night.
The 25-year-old Daniher had shown glimpses this year of the form that catapulted him to 2017 All-Australian selection, starring with four goals in the Bombers' narrow Anzac Day loss to Collingwood.
His AFL return came a week earlier against North Melbourne, with the Bombers fined $20,000 for making him a late recall to their team for the Good Friday win over North Melbourne.
Since his comeback, Daniher had played four of the last five games, kicking seven goals, and was rested a fortnight ago for the narrow loss to Sydney.
Daniher took six marks and sprayed four behinds last Saturday night in the win over Fremantle.
His loss is somewhat mitigated by the impending return of fellow forwards Shaun McKernan (hamstring) and Mitch Brown (wrist) from injury.
Daniher, 25, has played 104 games since his 2013 debut.