Coach, Matthew Knights, today said that Bachar Houli, Sam Lonergan, Kyle Reimers and Angus Monfries have signed new two-year deals securing them at the club until the end of the 2010 season.
“Each of these players have taken a significant leap forward in their game this year and I am confident they will play key roles next year and beyond,” Knights said.
“All four have now been in our system for between two to four years and we are starting to see the rewards for that development.”
Twenty year old Victorian, Bachar Houli, has played 14 games since being taken with pick 42 in the 2006 draft while nineteen year old West Australian, Kyle Reimers, who was selected five picks later in the same draft, has played 18 games.
Both picks were secured as part of the Dean Solomon trade.
Twenty one year old Tasmanian, Sam Lonergan was taken with pick 50 in 2005 and has played 18 games (17 games this year).
Coach, Matthew Knights, said the club has been able to get great value from its late picks in the past few years.
“Houli, Reimers and Lonergan were taken late in the draft and we think our recruitment staff, led by Adrian Dodoro, have found some good value for the club with those picks,” he said.
“This year’s draft is expected to run quite deep and we will be looking again to try and uncover some quality with our final selections.”
South Australian, Angus Monfries, has played 70 games after being taken with Essendon’s first selection (pick 14) in 2004 and Knights says the 21 year old is just starting to deliver on his promise.
“Angus is still young and developing and when he adds another four or five kilograms of muscle to his frame over the next few years he will become a very damaging player for us,” he said.
