Essendon track watch: Zach Merrett says young guns to get more midfield action as, Brad Scott flags ‘less words, more action’
Essendon skipper Zach Merrett has said young guns will demand more midfield time as competition for spots heats up in 2024. Catch the latest from the Essendon track here.
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Essendon captain ZachMerrett says the club’s next wave of young midfielders will rightly demand extra time at the coal-face next season.
It’s something he is very excited about, even if he concedes he and teammates such as Darcy Parish might have to shred some of their midfield minutes at times.
“We have got six or eight guys now … and we have to give them the space to allow them to grow as well,” Merrett said.
“(Darcy) Parish and myself have played big minutes in there, but to have (Ben) Hobbs, (Jye) Caldwell, (Nic Martin), and I am super excited by what (Sam) Durham can do … we need to give those guys some space.
“You’ve also got Elijah (Tsatas) as well.
“The way the game is played now it doesn’t matter where you start at a stoppages, whether you are mid, forward or back.
“It is such a high transition game now …. look at the grand final … (Nick) Daicos (was) playing his own role throughout and having a massive impact.
“There will be a lot (of) evolving with those mids, depending on how quickly they come on. We’re trying to build a really sustainable group who can perform well week in and week out.”
He said Tsatas, last year’s pick five who played the last four AFL games after suffering a knee injury last preseason, was a player to watch off the back of a full preseason.
“Elijah feels like in a way it is his first year, given he only played four games (in 2023) and a handful of games in the VFL off a pretty serious knee injury,” Merrett said.
“But he has had 12 to 14 months to spend in the gym to mature his body. He looks stronger. I think he has put on five or six kilos.”
SCOTT FLAGS NEW FOCUS
Essendon coach Brad Scott has revealed the focus will be on “less words and more actions” in the Bombers’ 2024 football program as he detailed the work being done on the mental preparation for his players in the preseason.
Scott has been buoyed by the way the group has returned for the start of preseason including those who went on a self-funded camp to the US.
Asked about the team goals he had set for 2023, Scott told a gathering of fans at the Member Fest at The Hangar on Saturday morning that the focus was on far more than wins and losses.
“We are focusing on the things we need to do to get the improvement we need,” Scott said. “I’m not in the prediction business. I’m in the action business. We are focused on action. I think less talk and more action. I think in the long run that will make our members happier.”
Scott said the club had been lucky enough to bring in a raft of talent including Ben McKay, Jade Gresham, Xavier Duursma and Todd Goldstein as well as the draftees headed by first-round pick Nate Caddy.
He said the club would do all in its power to ensure the synergy is strong.
“It is something I am somewhat concerned about, because it does take time to build synergy and connection with new players,” he said.
“We have brought some players in who we think fill a need for us and we think they are very good players.”
“But gelling with the rest of the team is a real challenge.
“We are really aware of that and we are working really hard on making sure the players spend as much time together as possible. The answer as to whether we have done it well probably won’t be evident until the mid-point of the season.”
Scott said the players had been working hard on the mental side of the game in terms of their preparation and dealing with pressure.
“Physically, these guys are working extremely hard, but we are working equally as hard on the mental side of the game,” he said.
CADDY KEEN ON ROUND 1
Bombers skipper Zach Merrett has been taken by the enthusiasm and energy of No. 10 draft pick Nate Caddy, even if the club’s defenders are a little more cautious.
The exciting 193cm forward made his presence felt in the Saturday morning training session, kicking two goals in match simulation to highlight his forward craft as well as crashing a few packs that had some new teammates well and truly aware of his presence.
Merrett said Caddy has already targeted round 1 to potentially make his AFL debut as the Bombers conditioning staff try to ease the 18-year-old into his first serious preseason.
“I think a few of our backs were a little nervous when he came running through a few contests,” Merrett said.
“You look at (his) highlights in under 18s footy and think ‘Wow, we don’t have anyone like that’. The way he throws himself at the contest and the ball … that’s something we are super excited about.”
Caddy crashed into Jayden Laverde in a marking contest at one stage of the match simulation, leaving the seasoned defender on the ground for a short period of time.
“(The) comparisons to (Charlie) Curnow are probably a bit early … (and) put a bit of pressure on him,” Merrett said. “But we are super enthused by his attitude to want to get better.
“He was eager to get into the club and he has been a bit frustrated that he has been held back a bit by the high performance (team). But long term we are super excited by him.
“I love his personality; I love his energy. He wants to make an impression … he has set his sights on round 1. Whether he gets there or not, we’ll see.”
DRAPER SETS SIGHTS ON ROUND 1
Essendon ruckman Sam Draper has firmly set his sights on a round 1 return next year following an injury-interrupted 2023 and postseason groin surgery.
The Bombers’ cult figure had to play through hip and groin pain for much of his 15 games this year and missed the best part of 10 weeks in the second half of the season.
The 25-year-old is now making slow and steady progress in his rehabilitation and has been back running in the past week, with the Bombers closely monitoring his progress.
While Draper has no firm timeline on when he will return to full training, he is hopeful it will come in January and he wants to take on Hawthorn in their round 1 clash on March 16.
“I think round 1 is achievable,” Draper told fans at the Bombers’ Member Fest at The Hangar on Saturday.
“I don’t want to put too much pressure on (as) I want to be 100 per cent and I want to feel good for the whole season. But I am definitely aiming for round 1.”
The loss of Draper in the second half of the season hurt the Bombers as their 2023 bid to play finals stumbled late in the year.
His 2024 return, plus the inclusion of former Kangaroo big man Todd Goldstein and the re-signing of young tall Nick Bryan, will be a huge boost to the club.
“It is going along nicely,” Draper said of his recovery.
“It is a little bit slow … I had pretty big surgery, but it is definitely improving. I have run three times now and feel a lot stronger and pain free, which is nice.
“I think I will join some training in January … It really hurt last year watching the boys on the sidelines. I love playing and getting around the fans.”
Essendon’s main group trained solidly for more than two hours in wet conditions at The Hangar, watched on by several hundred fans who attended the Member Fest.
Forwards Jake Stringer (foot) and Peter Wright (foot), along with new acquisitions Ben McKay (knee) and Xavier Duursma (hip) are on modified running programs, but are scheduled to join the main group in the coming weeks.
Sam Weideman is recovering from an Achilles issue which hindered him late in the season, but he will be back with the main group in January, while Dylan Shiel (knee/foot) won’t be back in full training until at least late February.
Jordan Ridley, Jayden Laverde and Zach Reid are now fully fit, Harry Jones is back in full training and Nik Cox will be fully integrated into the sessions next week.
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