MICHAEL Hurley will have two bouts of off-season surgery, but Essendon is confident the star defender won't face an interrupted pre-season.

The 27-year-old returned from a year out of the game to reclaim his spot as the All Australian centre-half back this season with a career-best year.

With Essendon's season over following its heavy elimination final defeat to Sydney, Hurley will have arthroscopes to repair wrist and hip injuries.

"'Hurls’ will have a slight modification at the start of the pre-season but be up and running by Christmas and in everything beyond that," Essendon high performance manager Justin Crow said.

"We're hoping for him to have another good pre-season."



Hurley will be one of three players to undergo off-season surgery, with David Myers to have another operation on the finger injury he suffered earlier in the season.

Matthew Leuenberger will have shoulder surgery and be on a restricted program at the start of the Bombers' pre-season later in the November when they return from their breaks.