Essendon Coach John Worsfold says Mathew Stokes has had an ‘enormous influence’ on the playing group this season.

Stokes played his 200th and final AFL match against the Western Bulldogs on Sunday.

After a 189 game career with Geelong, including two Grand wins, the 31 year old played 11 games with the Bombers this season, culminating in his 31-possession performance against the Dogs.

“He’s had an enormous influence in terms of being prepared to teach the players around him and a lot of the young players playing alongside him,” Worsfold said. 

“His leadership on the field and his teaching both on the field, with our VFL players and at training has been outstanding all year.

“We can’t talk highly enough of what he brought to our footy club this year.

“The fact that today was his 200th game, we’re rapt that we were able to help him get to that milestone.

“He’s forever a part of the Essendon Football Club’s history now and a well-respected part of it.” 

Stokes was one of ten players signed by the Bombers on the eve of the season.

With the exceptions of James Kelly and Matt Dea, most have battled injuries after their limited pre-seasons. 

But Worsfold said their impact stretched beyond the playing field. 

“They’ve all been outstanding,” he said.

“It hasn’t gone perfectly for a lot of them … a couple of serious injuries with hamstrings to Simpkin, Crowley, Stokes, Jamar, Grima – they’ve all had fairly significant injuries by trying to get themselves up ready to assist the Club.

“But the way that they’ve fought through all that and continued to add value has been outstanding. 

“It’s a credit to the younger group on our list that we haven’t needed to play all of them (mature recruits) every week. 

“That was the way it was looking at the start of the year but the way the younger players have stepped up to the mark and been competitive – we’ve been really pleased with.”

Essendon is planning to recognise the contribution of the 2016 recruits throughout the match against Carlton on Saturday.

Details will be released shortly.