Howlett, who continues his rise in the Essendon engine room after picking up 29 touches against the Suns, said a strong showing against the AFL’s newest side will hold Essendon in good stead against the Eagles.
""We knew coming in that they are going to be a good team, so to win like we did yesterday was very pleasing,"" the 22-year-old said.
""It was a bit of a surprise for us to play like we did in the first quarter, but I think we dropped away in that second quarter so there is lots of room for improvement.”
""They got on top of us, so in the second half we put a big focus on winning the clearances and contested ball, so there's still plenty to do, and next week is definitely a big game for us against the Eagles,” Howlett said.
""They're going to be a very hard team to beat. We have to do everything right during the week with training and recovery to get ourselves right for the game.""
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Howlett was one of seven members of Essendon's side to be recruited from either the rookie list or the pre-season draft, and he said there was a feeling that no matter of draft ranking or esteem coming into the club, everyone was equal.
""A few blokes, like me, have come off the rookie list, so there's a good belief in the side and we're really starting to believe in one another. It's going well at the moment,"" he said.
Howlett's rise has been rapid. Last year, in his first season in the AFL system, Howlett played 15 games and won the club's best first-year player award. This season, rather than simply giving captain Jobe Watson a hand at the stoppages, Howlett is thriving.
Against the Suns, 13 of his possessions were contested. He laid seven tackles – the most of any Bomber – and had four clearances, as well as kicking one goal and being involved in four scoring assists.
It came on the back of a stirring performance last week against Collingwood, when he collected 22 touches against the competition's best side, and ignited his own team in a brilliant third term.
