Elijah Tsatas could seek trade at the end of 2025 season, Nik Cox more likely to retire than not

A Bomber may seek a fresh start at season’s end, while another could have played his last game in the AFL. Jon Ralph has the latest.

Essendon’s top five selection Elijah Tsatas could seek a fresh start with a trade at season’s end as fellow top ten pick Archie Perkins continues his form battle and Nik Cox faces an uncertain future.

The Dons fought hard early despite their injury crisis against Fremantle on Thursday night but will go into the bye three games and percentage out of the eight.

The club expects Mason Redman and Kyle Langford to return from soft-tissue injuries against Gold Coast after the bye alongside the suspended Sam Durham.

Hamstring victims Zach Reid and Jordan Ridley will also train through the bye and are hopeful of taking on the Suns.

Elijah Tsatas might request a trade at the end of the year. Picture: Michael Klein

Essendon fans are aware the club’s decimated stocks of talls will put the club out of the finals equation but the list build also depends on maximising the club’s first-round selections.

Tsatas is contracted for next season but has played only 18 minutes of senior football as a No.5 overall selection since round eight.

He continues to be frustrated by his lack of AFL selection despite exceptional VFL form.

He broke his finger in the warm-up in round two but still had 25 possessions and 11 clearances that day in one of only four AFL games this year.

He is averaging an astonishing 33 possessions, 9.2 clearances and 3.4 clearances at VFL level but cannot crack into the senior side.

While the Dons have professed their faith in him, they have instead gone with big-bodied Will Setterfield and the returning Darcy Parish in the midfield.

The Dons would likely get little for him in a trade so might hope to keep him, but at present the 20-year-old continues to languish in the VFL.

No.8 draft pick Cox is awaiting an AFL ruling on whether he will be medically retired by the league but it seems more likely than not his career is over.

It is understood the concussion panel is yet to deliver a final verdict but at this stage given his age at 21 has told him to take more time to consider his future.

They will assess whether his symptoms ease in coming months as he continues to deal with headaches and other side effects from a series of head knocks.

So while he has not been told at this stage to retire like Eagle Jeremy McGovern, there is almost no prospect of him playing football again this season.

Nik Cox may have played his last game. Picture: Getty Images

No.8 draft pick Cox is awaiting an AFL ruling on whether he will be medically retired by the league but it seems more likely than not his career is over.

Perkins was drafted at pick nine behind him in the Covid-affected 2020 national draft but 92 games into his career he continues to languish.

Coach Brad Scott conceded he was lacking confidence after a nervous moment going back with the flight at half forward but will work with him to return to form.

He has started the past two games as the club’s substitute and with Jade Gresham playing as the high half forward Perkins seems to have lost his position.

“I think that it’s always about reminding players what they’re really good at. And Perkins is a strong, powerful footballer who, at his best, is breaking through tackles and competing really strong,” Scott said.

“Right at the moment, he’s doubting himself a little bit. And so my job is to remind him of what he’s really good at.”

Archie Perkins isn’t in form. Picture: Getty Images

Scott said was open-minded about retaining first-game ruckman Vigo Visentini, who was excellent on debut with his follow-up work and contest.

I like his competitiveness. He’s a great size, he’s a terrific athlete, and he’s got a huge opportunity to learn under one of the all-time great ruckman in Todd Goldstein.

“Knowing Goldy like I do, his dual objective will be to get himself ready to perform when he needs to play, but he’ll take a really strong interest in getting Vigo up to speed as quickly as possible.

“So hopefully we now have seen Vigo play, and Goldy will freshen up, and now hopefully for the first time in a long time, we will have some decisions to make at the selection table.”