Essendon track watch: Nate Caddy hype, Harry Jones pre-season, Jake Kelly position change
Essendon recruit Xavier Duursma and Nic Martin are favoured to cover the wide expanses for the Bombers next year, but a fresh name has entered the mix after training in a new position.
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Essendon goalkicker Kyle Langford has poured some water on the Nate Caddy hype as he declares fellow forward Harry Jones as the attacking Bomber to watch this pre-season.
A screamer taken during match simulation on Saturday set social media alight with excitement for No.10 pick Caddy.
The competitive forward has won admirers already at the Hangar but Langford said the teen may still be a slow burn.
Among genuine key forwards, only Gold Coast’s Max King and Adelaide’s Riley Thilthorpe have been drafted in the top 10 in the past five years and kicked at least 15 goals in their debut season, with neither bagging 20.
“He’s a great kid from the northern suburbs, same as me, I am trying to take him under my wing a little bit and teach him the ropes,” Langford said of Caddy.
“There is no denying his talent at all but these things take time. I am sure we will see him throughout the year.
“Whether he plays round 1 or not doesn’t really matter to us but we want him to play his best footy and once he does get to AFL level to stay there.”
Langford was glowing about running tall Jones, who played just five games last year due to ankle and back injuries.
“You guys have seen the highlights of Nate but Harry has been unbelievable,” Langford said.
“It is the best kind of footy I have seen him put together for a while and his body is feeling really good and his head is really good.”
Jones, Langford and Peter Wright have often played together up forward during intra-club play, alongside recruit Jade Gresham.
With Jake Stringer fit and given Wright played just 10 times last year, Brad Scott will likely field a drastically different looking attack in round 1 compared to 2023.
Langford said he was confident the Bombers could jell in time.
“We have been training together, working together, watching vision together,” he said.
“What the dynamic might look like, I don’t know, because it is really competitive but I am really excited to get to the games and of course round 1.”
FIGHTING FOR SPOTS
Defender Jake Kelly has joined the race for wing minutes as he trains in a new position.
Recruit Xavier Duursma and Nic Martin are favoured to cover the wide expanses for the Dons but Kelly has entered the mix.
Sam Draper has continued his slow build towards full training after groin surgery and with Todd Goldstein now in the sash, the Bombers will not rush their No.1 ruck.
There was no question who the most popular Bomber was at open training on Monday as Draper’s signature was heavily sought after.
One young Don asked for and was granted permission to caress Draper’s signature mullet.
“We want Drapes to have a really good year and not be in and out of the team with regular injuries,” Langford said.
“I think they (the medical staff) are taking their time with him. Whether it’s round 1, round 2 or round 6, it doesn’t really matter because we do have an experienced ruckman to help out.”
LEARNING FROM LAST YEAR
The Bombers senior players faced their 2023 fade out head on last year and Langford said the group has now moved on.
Essendon won just two of its final seven games and finished the year with a brutal 126 smashing at the hands of GWS Giants and a 70-point belting by Collingwood.
The mantra in Scott’s second season in charge has been to keep building on the more successful first 17 weeks of the 2023 campaign.
“2023 is what it was, but our expectation for next year is to build on that and have more of a consistent year,” Langford said.
“We addressed it at the time. The senior players addressed it and said we are not accepting those hit-outs anymore, particularly the GWS game was quite disappointing from a player’s perspective and a club perspective.
“But all you can do is address it, learn from it and move on.”
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