#10 St Francis de Agressi - up to 2021 round 2

BOOOOOOOOOOmbdoe

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Iā€™m sure Heppell had a big influence on him returning.
No expectations, just concentrate on having some fun with your mates playing footyā€¦ good performances will follow.

You canā€™t underestimate how important it is to get yourself right away from your job. Some of these young fellas donā€™t even know themselves. Football has been their hobby and distraction from life since early primary school. If football fails them, or they donā€™t enjoy itā€¦ many of them have nothing else.

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Forget Rd 1. Forget round anything. Just let him train and play whatever vfl crow and the fitness staff reckon is right for his fitness build up.
Take the expectation away and just let him play.

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Great news.

Even the checkout attendants give him free kicks

and please settle down watching this, both for Francis and then the Tippa tackle.

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Not too early, is it?

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Francis returns

A month after taking leave from Essendon to deal with a mental health issue, young Bomber Aaron Francis has returned to training at the club.

The 20-year-old, who was the No.6 pick at the 2015 NAB AFL Draft, remained based in Melbourne during his break away from Essendon.

On Friday he recommenced training with the Bombers, with star teammate Michael Hurley saying the group was pleased to see the flying defender back in red and black.

ā€œItā€™s fantastic. Obviously Aaronā€™s been away from the club for a few weeks now, but to see him back at the club with a big smile on his face is great,ā€ Hurley said.

ā€œHeā€™s obviously done a lot of work away from the club and heā€™s looking really good.ā€

Hurley said the Bombers had kept in close contact with Francis during his stint away from Tullamarine, with captain Dyson Heppell revealing on Thursday that Francis had taken up some part-time work and coaching local basketball.

ā€œHeā€™s looking really well and looking really happy which is fantastic,ā€ Hurley said.

ā€œI think theyā€™ll just take it step by step and Aaron will work through [his time at the club going forward] with the right people. Hopefully itā€™s full-time, but for him if itā€™s only part-time then so be it.ā€

Francis played five games for the Bombers in his first two seasons with the Bombers, being used mainly as a marking defender. At times he was also trialled in attack and the midfield, where his power and brilliant kicking shone.

A position has opened in Essendonā€™s back half after Martin Gleesonā€™s long-term ankle injury last week, and Hurley, who was an All Australian backman in 2017, said Francis had the ability to step in once his fitness base is back.

ā€œHe plays a similar role to Marty as that intercepting defender, so hopefully we can get him back on the track, get him fit again and get him playing some senior footy later on in the year,ā€ Hurley said.

The Bombers open their home and away campaign next Friday night against Adelaide at Etihad Stadium.

Star forward Joe Daniher, who won the Bombersā€™ best and fairest last year after kicking a career-high 65 goals, said the club has strong belief about its prospects in 2018.

ā€œAs a playing group weā€™ve put in a lot of work and weā€™ve brought in some guys from different clubs, which has taken a bit of work to gel together. But Iā€™m really excited about what we can deliver as a whole group,ā€ he said in launching Deadly Choices, a partnership between the Bombers and Victorian Aboriginal Health Services.

ā€œItā€™s another exciting opportunity to play the Grand Finalists from last year. Theyā€™ve obviously been a super strong club for a long period of time now. As a playing group we want to test ourselves against the best and no better way than to do it in round one.ā€

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Welcome back Big Red. If all things go well, he could be a smokie for ANZAC Day. Anything before then is not at all realistic.

Well done EFC on the Deadly Choices involvement, this is a sensational development.

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ā– ā– ā– ā– ā– ā– ā–  wrapped for the kid, great to see him back and as reported by Hurls to have a smile on his face.

Engage

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This news has me a bit oddly emotional.
Iā€™m so rapt for him that he feels anywhere even close to comfortable about even being there, let alone training.

I know we like toā€¦have a laugh about unrealistic expectations with certain players.
The Messiah, and so on.
And I really donā€™t want to be a wet blanket, but if we could just give the ironic Play Him In Round One jokes a rest for a whileā€¦

I just want the kid to be okay.
I want him to get well.

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Awesome news, hopefully getting a great response from his team-mates is another positive step for him.

that came through in your training report where you judiciosuly omitted him

Club embargo.
Sorry.

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For many it has been their life. Amount of.kids you see put it all on the line to not even get draftedā€¦

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I have a heart of stone but it brought a tear to my eye. All the best Big Red.

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Its not a joke, definitely not ironicā€¦ I want him in the team round one. There is an Aaron Francis sized hole. If he is fit and firing he should go in there.

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I think if he plays early on and has tangible impact itā€™d do wonders for his psyche. Whether that happens or not idk. But dea doesnā€™t seem a woosha favourite so thereā€™s a chance he plays by round 5

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