Essendon doesn't pose as a preferred destination, languishing at the bottom of the AFL ladder with no senior coach after Brad Scott's sacking.
But the lure of playing in marquee games for a big Victorian club still has some pull in the competition, as well as an attached dollar figure, which is likely to be more than at rival clubs.
Scott, in his outgoing speech, revealed the Bombers had held firm on its salary cap spending, withholding a war chest as they hit the draft with purpose.
But will they use this money in a bid to rejuvenate their list?
This is the first of our annual mid-season Trade Target specials, and we are starting from the bottom of the ladder and working our way up across the next month.
Here are five trade and free agency targets for 18th-placed Essendon to consider this year.
3Zak Butters
It would be remiss of Essendon not to consider making a genuine move to lure Port Adelaide free agent Zak Butters. They just must in this day and age.
Butters is all but certain to depart the Power, and has been linked heavily to the Western Bulldogs and Geelong.
But the lure of a big Victorian club, and the attached dollar figure, may well and truly swivel his head.
He would assume a leadership role immediately, and could the pitch of co-captaincy alongside Andrew McGrath be a part of the sell?
Ken Hinkley has been touted for a return to club land, and if he lands in Tullamarine, it would be another factor in helping lure Butters.
