Selflessness, loyalty and commitment.
Those are among the values that football insiders consistently point to when highlighting the career of Dyson Heppell.
The 253-game former Bomber who stuck with the club during a tumultuous period, didn't need to see much of Archie Roberts to determine he was the perfect candidate to assume the jumper number of a legend Bombers fans hold close to their heart.
Roberts, shocked at the time by the request, is starting to show the league the values which Heppell got an insight into during pre-season.
The defender's team-first mentality is an intangible aspect that teammates point to when describing Roberts, a theme that can be traced back to his junior days at Sandringham Dragons and Haileybury College.
Roberts is the first player to stand up for teammates, pick them up after an error or celebrate a goal, with that perspective helping to build a strong culture, and is rare among younger players.
Essendon backline coach Ben Jacobs believes that it is symbolic of a wider pattern of behaviour, which has the youngster highly regarded at the club.
"He's got leadership written all over him," Jacobs said.
"You'd be hard pressed to find anyone else in the team (players) want to play with more.
"He's so selfless."
Essendon has been blessed with strong leadership in recent times, with James Hird, Matthew Lloyd, Jobe Watson, Heppell and now Zach Merrett the players to take the reigns.
Roberts was vice captain of Haileybury College's premiership side and part of the leadership group for the flag-winning Sandringham Dragons in 2023.
The Dragons consistently noted throughout that season that his leadership grew impressively as his form spiked, with the youngster making it a clear focus.
At the time, it was his ability to connect with teammates that set him apart, which has been complemented by a brilliant work ethic since arriving at The Hangar.
"I've not had one conversation where it's ever been about him, and I think he commits with his actions," Jacobs added.
"He never shirks a contest, and he has a real appetite for the contest too, which is something you can't coach, and I think his personality is perfect for leadership - he can relate to most players in the playing group.
"He can get along with the boys socially, and he knows how to be as professional as possible."
With Essendon having used 41 players so far in an injury-wretched 2025, his leadership has been called upon early to help his wide variety of often inexperienced teammates set up.
Footy progression
The 19-year-old has been a consistent contributor since coming into the side late last season, playing 20 games, including every game this year, which has him in the mix to win the AFL Rising Star in 2025.
He was nominated for the Rising Star in Round 5 when he had 28 disposals and six tackles against Melbourne.
Roberts' disposal and athleticism were highly regarded when he was drafted, but his growth in defending has been significant throughout 2025.
It was a focus for Sandringham Dragons' coaching staff in 2023, and his combativeness was a consistent feature of his game as that year progressed.
Given his inexperience at senior level last season, it was moreso his athleticism that stood out in the four late-season games.
From the beginning of this year, though, the sustained defensive growth has been supported by a bigger frame, allowing him to compete better, a reward for a huge pre-season.
An advertisement of that progression was his Round 3 matchup on Port Adelaide's Willie Rioli, keeping the small forward goalless, which grew the Bombers' confidence in matching up on dangerous opponents.
"He has not only improved (his defensive craft) but made it a strength to the point where we're quite comfortable with him playing on any dangerous forward, whether high or deep, and he's still having an offensive impact," Jacobs said.
"It's a feather in the cap how balanced he is.
"The first time where we tested him out (deep) was when he played on Rioli against Port Adelaide, and he had some one-on-one moments isolated that really shone through.
"It gave us confidence to trust this guy to play a role while Andy McGarth and Mason Redman are up the ground, so he's been one of those go-tos and been flexible with McGrath with those matchups."
Other players he's kept quiet include seasoned duo Jamie Cripps and Will Hoskin-Elliott, with his appetite for the contest, footy IQ and balance more than compensating for his lack of experience.
"(The trust we have in him) keeps our backline dynamic," Jacobs said.
"The relationship that McGrath and Roberts have created, means depending on how the game is being played, if Andy is having an impact (Archie) is happy to play on a deeper, dangerous forward and vice versa.
"They work that out amongst themselves, and we give them that freedom to make sure they have a nice waxing combination so we're never getting dictated to - we're always dictating."
Following the club drafting him, National Recruiting Manager Rob Forster-Knight noted the appeal of his versatility, a sentiment Jacobs echoes, indicating he could get exposed across the ground.
"He has the athleticism to play any sort of position," Jacobs said.
"He runs all over the ground, but defensively, he's not giving an inch.
"Halfback, wing, inside, wherever it is, he'll get exposed to it across the journey, but at the moment, he's having an impact where he is.
"With the year we've had with injuries, to have a guy in his second year just step in to different roles for quarters and games is a credit to him."
Having been named an Under-18s All-Australian, there was a general consensus when Roberts was drafted that he slid when Essendon traded up to select him at Pick 54.
"His running power has always been really good, and his ball use was elite," his junior coach, Rob Harding, said.
"He always had good intent around the contest, and for him it was about filling out physically, but his want to compete in the contest was really strong from the start.
"It's great because often classy ball users can live off that, but Archie loves the contest side of the game."
