ESSENDON coach James Hird will continue to use the NAB Cup as a vehicle to get game time into his young players despite the Bombers qualifying for the second round of the pre-season competition.
The Bombers will face Melbourne in a qualifying final this Thursday night at Etihad Stadium after smashing the Brisbane Lions by 62 points and drawing with St Kilda on Friday evening.
Hird said the team he selected for the next phase would likely come from the squad of 36 chosen for Friday night, which would leave players like Andrew Welsh and David Hille to wait another week for a game.
""We'll be playing kids but we'll also play our senior players at certain times,"" Hird said after the two games.
""We're on a six day break for Thursday night so we'll have a look at where guys are at and anyone who has any soreness of sorts won't play but if they've got through this game we'll play them.""
Hird said the Bombers would get more from their nail-biting draw with the Saints – which was sealed by an after-the-siren goal to Mark Williams - than their landslide victory over the Lions.
""That [game] showed us what we can do when we play the way we want to play and what happens when we don't,"" he said.
""It was fantastic game. For the Essendon supporters, I think they would have loved the close game and the fact the boys fought it out to get the draw at the end.""
He said it was pleasing to see the players who made their debuts – Michael Hibberd, Dyson Heppell, Alex Browne, Luke Davis and Josh Jenkins – exposed to the demands of senior football.
""They all got a touch of the footy and saw what it was like, and I liked the way they seemed to fit into football pretty easily,"" he said.
""There's four or five guys we're confident will play senior footy for us this year and that was the most pleasing side of the individual aspect for me.""
He was also very happy with rookie Stewart Crameri, who booted three goals against the Lions and two against the Saints.
""He's a guy who has a lot of talent, he works very hard at his game and he's a fantastic physical specimen,"" he said.
""He's a player we hope will have a good career for us. He won't die wondering anyway because he gives it his 100 per cent effort and does exactly what he's told.""
Despite the game's thrilling finish, Hird said his nerves were intact when Williams was left with a shot at goal after the final siren.
""We were pretty confident Mark could kick it. One of the reasons he was recruited from Hawthorn was for his ability to nail those goals and he's done it time after time,"" he said.
""You watch him kick at training and he is one of the best kicks at goal you'll ever see.
""If you wanted anyone to have the ball in their hands at that stage, it was Mark and for his confidence and where he's come from through last year, I think it was great he was able to kick that goal.""
