Joe Daniher is nearing an AFL comeback for Essendon but coach John Worsfold isn’t sure he’s done enough to play in the club’s Darwin Dreamtime clash with Richmond on Saturday.

All-Australian forward Daniher hasn’t played since April last year and only managed 11 games since he was at the peak of his powers at the end of 2017.

A calf twinge last month was the 26-year-old’s latest setback that saw him join 10 others on the injury list as his side were cast aside by St Kilda in a 35-point Sunday night loss.

The defeat followed a four-point loss to Greater Western Sydney and a draw with Gold Coast, with no wins in four games leaving the Bombers in 11th spot on the ladder.

Essendon will also play West Coast, Geelong and Port Adelaide in the next six rounds and Daniher’s addition would ease the load on a forward line missing Jake Stringer and Orazio Fantasia.

“He’s tracking well … he’s now back starting to do full training loads which is great,” Worsfold said of Daniher.

“That changes where everything is at and we’ll just monitor him as we go.

“I couldn’t tell you right now what his training loads have been this week and whether they match up to game volumes.

“I’m going to be excited to hear about where he has progressed to.”