Nate Caddy will be the 1197th Bomber to don the sash, with the 18-year-old to play his first AFL game against Richmond at Dreamtime at the 'G. 

Senior Coach Brad Scott made the announcement to the playing group at Wednesday main training. 

Essendon’s top pick in the 2023 National Draft, Caddy is an athletic key forward bound to excite fans. 

At 193cm, Caddy has a strong presence up forward, using his aerial ability and strength to crash packs and take contested marks. 

Throughout his draft year for the Northern Knights in the Coates Talent League, Caddy demonstrated his accuracy in front of goal, scoring 25 goals from nine games. 

At VFL level this season, Caddy has been a key target, hitting the scoreboard 8 times, including three games where he has scored two majors.