Rested…
Herald Sun story below
ESSENDON will demand Aaron Francis arrive for November’s pre-season in elite shape after another frustrating season for the top-10 draft pick.
The key position swingman has played only two AFL games as he attempts to build the tank and professional routines to be a star.
Taken at pick six in the 2015 national draft, his best moments showcase his enormous potential but the 20-year-old still lacks running power.
He has been rested this week after taking a brilliant match-saving mark against Box Hill in the final moments of last weekend’s VFL game.
His GPS numbers have improved in the last month but running out games remains his biggest challenge.
He has committed to returning for the pre-season in excellent shape so he can build into the off-season rather than catch up to his teammates over the summer.
Last year he returned from holidays in South Australia at an acceptable weight but without doing the base fitness work that would have seen him improve quickly over the summer.
Contracted until the end of 2019, rival clubs will ask about him in the trade period but he will almost certainly remain at the Dons.
No one at the club is in any doubt about his talent, but they hope he can emerge as a regular senior player in his third season.
The powerful athlete has had a string of maintenance issues with his body regarding soft tissues and core since he emerged as a star junior.
The Bombers acquired the pick six used on Francis and Craig Bird in a complicated trade with St Kilda and Sydney that saw the Saints secure Jake Carlisle and Jade Gresham.
Bombers VFL coach Paul Corrigan noted Francis’s contribution to last week’s win.
“He went back behind the play for us as an extra so we could get some momentum going forward and get a look at kicking a point or putting ourselves in front,” he said.
“He really saved the game once (Essendon’s) Danny (Younan) kicked that goal.”
The Bombers will look to restart negotiations with Rising Star contender Andrew McGrath at season’s end after they were postponed mid-year.
Essendon put an offered deemed unsatisfactory to his management earlier in the year so it was happy to wait until the post-season.
Brendon Goddard has checked off the 17-game contract clause that will see him play next year, with free agent David Zaharakis deep in contract talks.
The Bombers take on Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium on Saturday night and must win to keep their finals hopes alive.