Fletcher Roberts joins Essendon’s VFL team in bid to keep AFL dream alive
After a host of AFL-listed departures last year, Essendon has bolstered its VFL defence with a premiership-winning Bulldog, who coach Mark Corrigan believes will have a big impact on and off the field.
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Western Bulldogs premiership defender Fletcher Roberts has joined Essendon’s VFL side as he looks to keep his hopes of an AFL lifeline alive.
The 26-year-old backman’s arrival is a major boost to the Bombers after several experienced players exited last season.
After being taken at pick No. 11 in the 2012 pre-season draft, Roberts played 51 games for the Bulldogs across eight years but just four of those came in the past two seasons before he was delisted.
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Essendon coach Mark Corrigan was thrilled to add Roberts’ experience and character to his group.
“To get him on board is a huge asset for us, not only from a football point of view but as a person and a leader,” he said.
“He’s also done a psych degree, so he’s going to do a bit of work through the club and implement a few things at VFL level.
“We’ve lost Michael Hartley to the Hawks and Brandon Zerk-Thatcher will hopefully be pushing to play AFL football, so if we get a few injuries we can look pretty raw back there pretty quickly.”
Hugh Haysman joins Roberts as a VFL recruit after signing on from SANFL club West Adelaide.
AFL-listed players Hartley (Hawthorn), Mitch Brown (Melbourne), Trent Mynott (Box Hill VFL), Mark Baguley (Langwarrin), Zac Clarke (Doncaster East), Jordan Houlahan (Sturt SANFL), Ben McNiece and David Myers (both Northcote Park) have all departed.
As part of Essendon’s AFL list changes, experienced players Tom Cutler (Brisbane), Jacob Townsend (Richmond), Andrew Phillps (Carlton) and Mitch Hibberd (Williamstown) have arrived as well as draftees Harry Jones, Nick Bryan, Ned Cahill, Lachie Johnson, Ross McQuillan and Cian McBride.
Corrigan said educating his new-look outfit was the priority ahead of the club’s first practice match at the end of February.
“We’re similar to the AFL in terms of what we’re trying to teach but we don’t have the same access to VFL players,” he said.
“You’ve got to prioritise what you teach and how you teach it to be more efficient in how you get it across to them.
“We’ve got seven or eight on our injury list, but hopefully all being well, they’ll be ready to go for the start of the season.”
Essendon’s VFL list will embark on a pre-season camp to Numurkah before its first practice match against Northern Blues on February 28.
It will then play a curtain-raiser to the Essendon v Geelong Marsh Cup game against the Cats’ VFL team on March 9.
The Bombers’ VFL season begins on April 4 against the Blues at Preston City Oval.
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