Chopsticks on the menu again ?
Dons eye top talent
Matt Thompson afl.com.au November 23, 2016 11:25 AM
John Worsfold and his coaching team are keen to add another ‘A-grade’ player to the mix.
As Essendon prepares to stock up on young talent in Friday night’s NAB AFL Draft, the club is also preparing to lure an ‘A-grade player’ to Tullamarine next year.
The Bombers have decided on who they’ll call out with pick one in Sydney this week but are keeping the decision in-house.
However looking further ahead, fans will be salivating at the prospect of the Bombers having a serious crack at the free agency pool in 12 months time, with the club declaring it has plenty of salary cap space to work with.
“We’re actually in a pretty good position now,” Essendon football manager Rob Kerr said this week.
“Part of our plan going forward is that we’d be chasing an A-grade player to come into the club over the next one to two years.”
Fremantle Brownlow medallist Nat Fyfe and Richmond dynamo Dustin Martin headline the list of potential free agents at the end of 2017.
Also there is Swans midfielder Josh Kennedy and Hawks premiership defender Grant Birchall.
“I think one of the really good achievements over the last few years has been how we’ve been able to manage the cap,” Kerr said.
"People forget we have lost some good players along the way, (Patrick) Ryder, (Jake) Carlisle, (Michael) Hibberd, (Jake) Melksham.
“You have those in your numbers so that does generate some space.”
Having won just three games with its depleted side in 2016, the Bombers go into the national draft with the top pick after no other club made a serious pitch in the trade period.
“There’s probably only GWS and Gold Coast that had the means to do it because they had a bunch of early picks,” he said.
“That was going to be a pick swap, but in terms of a player no one came to us.”
The Bombers are expected to take up to five players in Friday night’s draft.
