Promising Essendon players Joe Daniher and Zach Merrett have been included in the Club’s Leadership Group for the first time. 

David Zaharakis and James Gwilt will also be involved alongside Captain Brendon Goddard and Vice-Captain Mark Baguley. 

“The players we’ve added into our leadership group now are guys that the rest of the squad have identified as leaders within their group across the key criteria that they came up with,” Coach John Worsfold told Bomber Radio. 

“Guys like Joe Daniher and Zach Merrett, even though they’re younger players, come in and really just carry on some of the exciting stuff they’ve shown.

“They’re very passionate about their footy, they have really strong natural leadership tendencies so even though they’re young, they do lead the way in a lot of areas.”

The Bombers will also utilise the experience of the most recent additions to the playing list, with some of the new recruits to rotate through the Leadership Group throughout the season.

“We’ve got some really strong experience from guys that have joined us for this season,” Worsfold said.

“Rather than having them as key members of the leadership group, we felt as though we wanted to get the best of both worlds – still develop our own leaders within but use their knowledge that they bring to the table.

“Ryan Crowley has sat in with the guys over the first month and James Kelly will do a month.  Then we’ll work through whether it’s Mathew Stokes or we may even use someone like Adam Cooney or Matthew Leuenberger.”

The announcement marks a return to the Leadership Group for Zaharakis as he enters his eighth AFL season.

“He’s growing all the time and learning about what his leadership stature and characteristics are and that’s been great to see,” Worsfold said.

The 2011 Best and Fairest winner has enjoyed one of his best pre-seasons culminating in a 28-possession outing against Carlton in his first NAB Challenge game, followed by 26 disposals two weeks later against West Coast.

“He’s as prepared and has done as much work as he ever has.  He really is ready for it.  He started off before the boys even came back to training.  He had his own program and went overseas and committed to that,” Worsfold said.

“I’ve got no doubt that benefited him and that’s carried all the way through… he’s really ready for a great year.”

Gwilt played 11 games in his first season with the Bombers last year after 126 games, including nine finals, with St Kilda.

“He brings a lot of experience, he’s a quietly spoken but very measured person around the footy club and very well respected,” Worsfold said.

“He’s come from a club that had a lot of success in the Saints, while he was part of that.  He brings the knowledge of what a strong culture, winning culture on-field looks like.

“He’s very measured and very calm and collected.  He reads the game well and uses his voice well on the field and on the training track. 

“He’s just a guy who looks out for his teammates.”

The Bombers open their season against Gold Coast on Saturday.