Essendon defender Mark Baguley’s long road to gain a spot on an AFL list has been worth every moment according to the 25-year-old from Frankston.

The Bombers promoted Baguley to the senior list for the 2013 season after his impressive debut year as a rookie in 2012.

After being drafted at selection 47 in the 2012 rookie draft, Baguley was elevated off the rookie list and made his debut in round 16 against Port Adelaide, playing seven of the final eight games of the season.

“It has been a long road to make it to the AFL and to be upgraded from the rookie to senior list was a great honour for me,” Baguley said.

“I was pretty happy with my season, coming from VFL it was a big step up to AFL and I feel I really developed my game defensively.”

“I think I took a lot of good steps to becoming an AFL player.

Baguley played local football for Langwarrin before joining Frankston in the VFL at the age of 21 where he played for three seasons.

He is looking forward to no longer being the new kid on the block with six new draftees welcomed to the club earlier this week.

“It is good to be one of the older players and not a first year anymore and you get to look at the new guys coming in and try to make their way in AFL,” Baguley said.

“They have all fitted in pretty well, there is a couple that have been training for a few weeks and then the new guys came in this week.”

“I think they have all started to fit in pretty well.”

The hard running defender said he would continue to work hard in the pre-season with an aim of playing more games in 2013.

“This season I will be just trying to build on what I learnt last season in terms of developing my game defensively and getting bigger, stronger and fitter.”