Essendon has selected ruck Vigo Visentini with pick No.8 in the 2023 AFL Rookie Draft.

Standing at 204cm, Visentini is a powerful and aggressive presence in the ruck who works well around the ground to support his midfielders and provide a hand in defence.

Visentini enjoyed a strong second half of the season with the Sandringham Dragons in the Coates Talent League and represented Vic Metro at the National Championships, registering 34 hit-outs and 15 disposals in a stellar performance against Western Australia.

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The younger brother of Port Adelaide ruck Dante Visentini, Vigo plays a similar role as a combative stoppage ruckman and won a best and fairest at Xavier College under the coaching of club champion Jobe Watson.

General Manager of List and Recruiting Adrian Dodoro is excited to see the 18-year-old secure his AFL opportunity with the Bombers.

"We're really excited to welcome Vigo to the club from the Sandringham Dragons and Vic Metro programs," Dodoro said.

"We're projecting for the future with Vigo. He'll come in and require a fair bit of development, but we're really confident that his ruck craft, aggression, and marking traits will allow him to be a very good player for us."