Essendon re-signs Heath Hocking and Michael Hibberd, both believe premiership push will come

EXCLUSIVE: RE-SIGNED Essendon stars Michael Hibberd and Heath Hocking say the drugs scandal has not shaken players’ belief in the club.

Michael Hibberd and Heath Hocking inside the Hanger at Tullamarine having both resigned into the future with Bombers. Pic: Michael Klein

EXCLUSIVE: RE-SIGNED Essendon stars Michael Hibberd and Heath Hocking say the drugs scandal has not shaken players’ belief in the club.

Hibberd has signed until the end of 2017 while Hocking has penned a two-year deal, removing him from this year’s free agency pool.

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It takes to 23 the number of Bombers who have signed new deals since the drugs saga exploded in February last year.

The latest deals come after what Hibberd said had been a “tough couple of weeks” during which 34 show cause notices were handed to players by ASADA.

But the 24-year-old said players would see the battle out together.

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“Inside the doors here nothing has scared us away from signing,” Hibberd said.

“No one is running away from this footy club. We all love being here, we all love the players and we love playing for the club.

“Hopefully we all stick together and build something special.”

Hibberd said a finals appearance this year would provide an ideal platform to build towards a premiership tilt sooner rather than later.

Hibberd and Hocking say no players are running away from the footy club.

“We were disappointed we didn’t play finals last year but I think we have put that behind us,” he said.

“I think if we get a final or two or even further, I think the confidence going into preseason in 2015 will just be massive.”

On the Dons’ list, Hocking said: “I think we can push those top four sides in the next couple of years.

“We’re building something. We brought in Brendon Goddard, he has lifted our standards with the way he prepares and the way we can play football is really exciting and I reckon we are pushing up.

“I’ve been here for almost a decade and it has finally seen some good signs in terms of coming towards hopefully a finals or premiership birth.”

Hibberd is in All-Australian form with the lethal left-footer collecting 30 disposals against Adelaide last week despite copping a leg injury early.

Hibberd joined the Bombers as a mature-age recruit from Frankston and has played 57 games.

Hocking, 26 and with 109 games to his name, said he was enjoying playing forward and back this year.

“I think we’ve got a fantastic list with heaps of depth and we probably haven’t played to our potential in a complete season but it’s coming,” he said.

On banned coach James Hird’s scheduled return in two months, Hibberd said: “Hirdy will be back at the end of the year, but at the moment (Mark Thompson) is the coach. When Hirdy gets here we will work with him and take it as it comes.”

STICKING IT OUT

Essendon players who have re-signed during the 18-month AFL/ASADA supplements investigation.

Michael Hibberd, Heath Hocking - June 2014

David Zaharakis – March 2014

Alex Browne – April 2014

Nick Kommer - February 2014

David Myers – December 2013

Tayte Pears – November 2013

Nick O’Brien, Kyle Hardingham, Dustin Fletcher, Travis Colyer – October 2013

Tom Bellchambers, Jason Winderlich, Cale Hooker – September, 2013

Jake Melksham – August 2013

Mark Baugley, Jackson Merrett, Elliott Kavanagh, Jason Ashby

Jobe Watson, Dyson Heppell – May 2013

Jake Carlisle – April 2013

Lachie Dalgeish – Re-signed and promoted off rookie list in 2014

Originally published as Essendon re-signs Heath Hocking and Michael Hibberd, both believe premiership push will come