Essendon is putting a team-first mentality at a premium under new senior coach Ben Rutten.
The Bombers were on Tuesday informed of Adam Saad’s request to be traded to Carlton, with Joe Daniher deciding to explore his free agency options less than 24 hours later.
Media reports suggested Saad had become discontent with his role and wanted more on-field freedom at the Blues, while Daniher cited a lifestyle change for his move.
General manager of football Dan Richardson addressed the speculation, reiterating that while it was disappointing to lose Saad’s commitment, the club’s priority was to build a list united in Rutten’s vision.
“I’ve heard those reports. I find that interesting and difficult to understand. ‘Saady’ is a terrific small defender, but any small defender needs to play deeper and play on a dangerous opponent, and at other times they need to play higher up the ground,” Richardson told 3AW on Wednesday.
“We played Adam in both those roles and he played both those roles extremely well, hence he’s third in our best and fairest and not far off All Australian. I’m not sure where that comes from.
“We need players that are prepared to play roles and commit to the roles that are best for the team, and if that was true about Adam and Carlton have promised him that he can play a role that he would prefer, then so be it.
“Culturally, there’s a shift taking place. Ben’s (Rutten) very strong and very clear on his expectations with players. We need players that are fully committed to his vision and where we’re taking the club. If that means we unsettle or ruffle a few feathers along the way because we’re asking players to put the team first, then so be it.
“I don’t think we should apologise to anyone, even our fans, if that’s what we’re doing. Where we want to get to is build a team that wins premierships, and that’s what we need to do.”
Richardson said the upcoming trade and draft periods would have added significance for the Bombers, as they look to rectify a disappointing 2020 season and “rejuvenate” their list.
“It’s disappointing to lose a couple of quality players, and clearly key forwards are more difficult to find than many other players,” Richardson said.
“We’ll look at all avenues we can to rejuvenate and refresh our list. We’re not happy with the way the season started, and we know that we need some change and to rejuvenate things. We’ve got a new coach coming on board who’s got very clear views on how he wants the game to be played and the roles within that he requires players to perform.
“I’m sure as time evolves, we’ll look at a combination of established players through the trade period, and we’ll also hopefully have the opportunity to have some early draft picks.”
The trade period will take place from November 4 to 12, while the draft will be held in the week commencing December 7.
