Relishing the move up the ground this year, Andrew Welsh excited fans with his courage and hunger for the football as he took on the role of a defensive forward.

Although highly commended for adding goal-kicking to his game, Bomber fans hope to see Welsh find more of the footy and work on his foot skills in order to have a greater impact on the field next season. 

What some of the Essendon fans had to say:

It was a very promising year for the lad. He had some very heartening performances showing speed, skills and heart. I am looking forward to seeing him continue this improvement into '08. (Ben White)

Welsh was very effective as a defensive forward and should be persevered with in this role. However a lack of penetration in his kicking continues to be a weakness. (Geoffrey Hope)

Andrew made a leap this year in his development. He was fantastic with his runs off half back even went forward and kicked nine goals which is great for him and the club. (Patrick Lijnders)

Despite having a slow start to the season due to injury, Welsh worked his way into the midfield and showed his ball winning capabilities later in the year. He is still best suited as a running defender. (Nathan Beever)

Andrew always gives 100% and adds toughness to the forward line when moved there. (Larry Sher)