Essendon track watch: Dylan Shiel and Mason Redman shine in match sim
Majority of Essendon’s best 23 had the chance to play together in match sim on Saturday as the battle for a list spot heated up. Get the latest intel.
Essendon’s new dual threat from defence fired as the summer signing battle heated up during lengthy match simulation on Saturday.
A week out from their first match simulation hitout against the Western Bulldogs, the Bombers pushed through match play in normal game conditions, with Mason Redman and Dylan Shiel on fire early coming off half-back.
Shiel has collected the ball at will in recent intra-club battles since moving to a high defensive role and he showed good composure as a rebounder in a game that was largely made up of ‘probable’ best-23 players against the rest.
An injury interrupted 2024 appeared well behind Redman in the opening quarters of the simulation as he bounced off half-back with speed and kicked an early goal for the ‘black’ team.
Redman was a beneficiary of a clear mandate to dish handballs forward to running players as Brad Scott’s side played at high speed.
The duo combined with Andy McGrath to provide plenty of bounce from the Bomber defence.
As has been the case through much of the pre-season, Sam Draper started at deep forward and Nick Bryan rucked with Zach Merrett, Elijah Tsatas and Jye Caldwell as the starting midfield for the black team.
Bryan enjoyed his best match sim play of pre-season so far, grabbing a couple of strong marks alongside some pinpoint tap work.
Xavier Duursma enjoyed a strong session playing on the wing, with Saad El-Hawli playing on the opposite side for the black team.
Running machine draftee Angus Clarke impressed with his workrate for the red team.
A number of players weren’t taking part including Ben McKay, Nate Caddy, Sam Durham, Harry Jones, Darcy Parish and Jordan Ridley.
All of those players are expected to be available for the practice match against Geelong, if they don’t get up to face the Bulldogs.
Matt Guelfi returned to the track for light running after recent hamstring surgery.
Zach Reid was solid in defence alongside summer signing Jaxon Prior, who looks close to a certain starter for Opening Round against Gold Coast.
Up forward, Kyle Langford’s impressive summer continued as he bagged multiple goals, while draftee Isaac Kako also kicked a couple.
SSP BATTLE
It became a battle of marking prowess between Essendon’s Supplemental Selection Period (SSP) train-on players Kaine Baldwin and Tom Edwards.
Baldwin took several intercept marks and was comfortable the red team’s best defender, even pulling the group in for a discussion after a black team goal.
WAFL goalkicker Edwards grew into the contest as the game wore on and was swapped into the black team in the second half.
He kicked a lovely goal from the boundary and took a couple of impressive marks.
The Bombers don’t have to sign either player before the February 19 deadline and could leave an empty list spot for the mid-season draft but it appears likely both Baldwin and Edwards will get some minutes against the Bulldogs to push their case.
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