Essendon find themselves in a solid position approaching the Telstra AFL Draft on November 19-20.

Equipped with five picks inside the top 30 (as well as picks No.5 and 6 in succession), the Bombers have plenty of opportunity to acquire exciting talent on the night and bolster a list already brewing with promising youth. 

National Recruiting Manager Rob Forster-Knight said the Club will still take a wide lens into the event, opting for a ‘best available’-themed approach to each scenario as it presents itself.

“We feel really energised by the position we’re in approaching the draft. To have two first-round picks and five selections inside the 30 offers terrific flexibility for us,” Forster-Knight said.

“Over the last couple of years, we’ve obviously followed these boys really closely so we feel we have a really good handle on what’s going to be presented to us when the night comes.

“Brad Scott and Daniel McPherson have been extremely invested in this process and we all feel aligned on the level of talent and character we’re looking to bring into our program. 

“There’ll always be different things to play out in the build-up to – and on – draft night itself, so we’ll remain open to advancing our hand and maintaining good communication with other Clubs.” 

The Dons also have a couple of NGA prospects to consider on the night, with familiar faces in Adam Sweid and Hussien El Achkar shaping as potential picks for opposition Clubs to place bids on. 

Still early in the process, Forster-Knight said the Club is unable to make any guarantees and will stay steadfast in assessing each pick on its own merit.

“We’ve been so impressed by Adam, ‘Huss’ and our wider NGA talent this year. Even with that development considered, we aren’t in a position right now to make guarantees around how that bid-matching process looks,” Forster-Knight said.

“While we feel adding both players to our list would be great for our program, their inclusion ultimately has to be determined when ranked against what’s available in their cohort at the time of each bid. 

“Both of those boys are quality young men and we’d love to have them on board, but the bottom line is that we won’t compromise on making the best possible selection for our Club with every pick as it comes.”

Looking at the draft holistically, Forster-Knight feels a great deal of confidence in what lies ahead for the Bombers.

“In addition to our recruiting in the last couple of drafts, we feel that this year’s crop gives us a great chance at bringing in more elite talent,” Forster-Knight said.

“However it looks, we feel really prepared for what’s in front of us. It’s an exciting period for the wider Club.”