Essendon have confirmed the signings of former Geelong premiership player Matthew Stokes and ex-Lion James Polkinghorne as the latest top-up players to join the club for 2016.
They are the fifth and sixth top-up signings, joining James Kelly, Matthew Dea, Jonathan Simpkin and Ryan Crowley.
Polknghorne, 27, played 94 games with Brisbane from 2008 to 2014. He was also a top-up player for the Bombers during the 2015 NAB Challenge game and was a member of Essendon's VFL side in 2015.
Stokes, 31, played 189 games with Geelong from 2006 to 2015, including the 2007 and 2011 premierships, before being delisted at the end of last season.
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