Essendon today put the finishing touches on its exciting young list, adding John Williams and Tom Bellchambers to the senior list at this morning’s AFL pre-season draft.
 
List Manager, Adrian Dodoro, was excited about the new additions and believes they will add to the depth of the Bombers’ list.

 

“We are very happy,” Dodoro said.

 

“Getting two preseason draft picks is unusual for this club, but we are going down the path of selecting the best young talent available and we will continue to do that.

 

“We have done exactly that today and to add another two young players to our senior list is very exciting for the club.""

 

Williams, taken with Essendon’s first selection (pick five), is an 188cm, 19-year-old, recruited from Morningside (Queensland) who is renowned for his impressive athleticism.

 

“Williams is very good above the head, he kicks the ball a long way and is very good with the timings of the game,” Dodoro said.

 

“He is someone that really impressed us and a few clubs rated him pretty highly in the National Draft.

 

“A few clubs went off him a bit because of a shoulder complaint he was having, but we feel he is a long-term prospect and therefore we will give him the time to develop.”

 

The Bombers snared 201cm Tasmanian ruckman, Bellchambers, with their second selection (pick eight).

 

“Bellchambers has been highly rated over the last couple of years,” Dodoro said.

 

“Everyone knows he has got ability and we were pretty keen to get another ruckman on our list.

 

“We thought he was the best credentialed young ruckman available so we nabbed him.”

 

Essendon also added Rhys Magin and Jarrod Atkinson to the rookie list.