The last mature-age Bendigo Bombers’ player to be selected in the pre-season draft was Josh Mahoney in 2003. He went on to play in an AFL Premiership with Port Adelaide. Essendon will be hoping today’s selection of 25-year-old Hayden Skipworth follows a similar script.

The similarities are many. Mahoney and Skipworth both spent two seasons with Bendigo. Both captained Bendigo and also the Victorian Football League team. And after today, both were given an unlikely second chance to resurrect their football career at the elite level.

Skipworth previously played 44 games with the Adelaide Crows between 2001 – 2006. He has played most of his football as a midfielder / small forward and he kicked 22 goals during his career with Adelaide. His best season with the Crows came in 2005 when he played 21 matches, including three finals against St Kilda, Port Adelaide and West Coast.

His standout performance of that season came in Round 6 against the Kangaroos at AAMI Stadium when he kicked four goals, including three in the space of five minutes in the second-quarter and the match-winner in the last quarter. His 20-possession game earned him three Brownlow votes.

Essendon coach Matthew Knights thinks the flexibility Skipworth will offer over the whole ground will be important to the team structure in 2009.

“He certainly provides an extra option for us through the midfield in either an offensive or defensive capacity,” Knights said. “He has shown he can push forward and kick goals and I think there will quite possibly be occasional roles for him in the back half so we really like what he brings to the table in terms of flexibility.

“He knows the hard work starts now. He has earned himself the opportunity to have a second crack at AFL football and it is now up to him what he makes of it. Not every player is that lucky. His attitude on the track and enthusiasm tells me nothing will be left behind. It’s now or never.

“I think Hayden also brings some real leadership and maturity to the group. He has done a great job mentoring some of our younger players – they look up to him and with that comes responsibility. He wants that responsibility and it will benefit the entire playing group.”

Skipworth, who is 177cm tall and 75kg, spent most of the 2006 season with SANFL side Woodville-West Torrens. He won the Jack Oatey Medal that season as best on ground in the SANFL Grand Final. During his time with Woodville-West Torrens, Skipworth played in premiership sides at under 17, under 19, reserves and senior levels.

Skipworth was selected to join the AIS Academy in 2000 and represented Australia in the Under 18 International Rules series. He was taken by Adelaide with selection 53 in the 2000 AFL Draft, making his debut the following year in Round 1 against Sydney at the SCG.

The addition of Skipworth to the Essendon list means the Bombers senior list is now finalised for the 2009 season. The average age of the list is 22.7, down from an average age of 23.2 last season. Essendon has 18 players between the ages of 17 and 22 and 15 players between the ages of 23 and 28. The inclusion of Skipworth bolsters the mid-20’s demographic at Essendon.
 
The pre-season draft went largely as expected. The selections were:
 
1. Melbourne - Liam Jurrah (Yuendumu)
2. Port Adelaide - Josh Carr (Fremantle)
3. Essendon - Hayden Skipworth (Bendigo)
4. Carlton - Chris Johnson (Melbourne)
5. Brisbane Lions - Tom Rockliff (Murray Bushrangers)
6. Richmond - Ben Cousins (Port Melbourne)