Essendon rookie Ben Howlett has been upgraded to the club's senior list for the 2010 season on the back of three impressive Challenge match performances.
General manager of football operations Paul Hamilton said the 21-year-old West Australian had improved with each game and deserved this opportunity.
""Ben has really done well in the past three practice matches and impressed the coaches with his attitude and the progress he has made in those games,"" Hamilton said.
""In his first game against Melbourne he only played one quarter but in that quarter he had three tackles and 10 possessions. He played against Sydney the following week and did well and then again against Richmond on the weekend.
""We have been impressed not only with his ability to find the footy but also his defensive attributes.
""He won a best and fairest at Peel Thunder in the WAFL last year as a 20-year-old so credit to out recruiting team for bringing in an experienced rookie who is showing all the signs that he could forge an AFL career.""
The AFL today announced the players that were nominated as rookies who are eligible to play senior football at any time during the 2010 Toyota AFL Premiership Season and Finals Series.
Clubs are eligible to nominate a rookie player if it has 38 players on its list (not including veteran players) and it satisfies the Total Player Payments requirements.
Other players nominated by clubs today are:
Carlton – Jeffrey Garlett
Fremantle – Michael Barlow
Hawthorn – Garry Moss
North Melbourne – Ben Speight
Richmond – Graham Polak, Relton Roberts
West Coast – Will Sullivan.
