Essendon meets with delisted Richmond premiership hero Jacob Townsend

Essendon has met with delisted Richmond forward Jacob Townsend ahead of the rookie draft, and the 2017 premiership player could be a perfect fit for the Bombers’ new game plan.

Jacob Townsend celebrates a goal for Richmond.

Essendon has shown interest in ex-Richmond premiership forward Jacob Townsend as the Bombers seek to revamp their front six into a high-pressure unit full of adaptable targets.

The Bombers have met with delisted Tiger Townsend, who played an exceptional pressure role as an accurate goalkicker in the 2017 premiership season.

They can recruit him in next week’s rookie draft or offer him a summer at the club before securing him before the 2020 season.

The decision to replace the adaptable Mitch Brown with Townsend would seem an eyebrow raiser given former Cat Brown has been a more reliable goalkicker.

But Essendon wants to play a modern game plan under John Worsfold and his successor Ben Rutten next season which includes keeping the ball inside 50 more.

The Dons will have access to Joe Daniher, Shaun McKernan and James Stewart as marking targets but mostly will want to play only one or two tall forwards.

Then will be complemented by a fleet of mid-sized and small forwards who apply elite pressure, led by Anthony McDonald Tipungwuti, Jake Stringer, Orazio Fantasia and at times Devon Smith.

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Jacob Townsend kicked 28 goals in 20 games for Richmond.

Smith will be back from a knee injury which ruined his 2019 season after winning the best-and-fairest in his debut year, while questions remain over whether Daniher can get back to his best.

Brown was a strong contested mark who kicked several three-goal hauls for Essendon this year, but was not renowned for his forward pressure.

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Essendon has secured former Richmond assistant coach Blake Caracella to govern the club’s attacking ball movement.

Townsend was formerly a GWS player then kicked 11 goals in the last two home-and-away rounds of 2017 and held his spot in three finals.

Brown has accepted Melbourne’s invitation to train with the Demons over summer alongside Harley Bennell as they consider him as a rookie.

Originally published as Essendon meets with delisted Richmond premiership hero Jacob Townsend