Nineteen year old Cale Hooker will make his AFL debut for Essendon this Friday night against the Western Bulldogs.
Coach, Matthew Knights, says the 196cm, 84 kg West Australian was a speculative pick who was taken by the club with its final selection in the 2007 national draft (pick 54).
“He was a year older than most draftees - he turns 20 later this year - and had shown promise with East Fremantle reserves but had been held back from making his senior debut due to illness and might have fallen off the radar of other clubs because of this,” Knights said.
“Our list manager Adrian Dodoro was impressed with his athleticism, skills and attitude and it is exciting to see him make his debut.”
Knights said Hooker has the potential to become a tall marking option at either end of the ground and, while he still needs to build up his body, has shown some good form this year with the Bendigo Bombers.
He will be the 39th player on the Essendon list to play this year.
He is the seventh player to debut this season (joining Jarrod Atkinson, David Myers, Tayte Pears, Darcy Daniher, Tom Bellchambers and Rhys Magin).
