More than five thousand fans have braved a burst of winter to celebrate the start of the season at Essendon’s Family Day.

Players were put through a light session before signing autographs and joining in the fun of the annual event.

Essendon Captain Dyson Heppell was impressed by the number of fans who attended despite the inclement weather.

"You guys are unreal, the best fans in the business," he said.

"We've put an enormous amount of work in over this pre-season and we're really excited to see what we can do this year.

"Get around us and we hope to see you at some games."

Crichton Medal winner Brendon Goddard said players and fans can look forward to an exciting year.

“The supporters are fantastic, we had nearly 20,000 on Thursday night … they’ve been fantastic throughout the whole saga,” he said.

“There is no one more excited than the supporters this year and deservedly so. 

"They’ve been fantastic and been through a lot, all of the ups and downs, and now they can look forward to a saga free year.”