Essendon midfielder Dylan Shiel has revealed he "always wanted to be" a Bomber despite the opportunity to potentially move to St Kilda over the off-season.
Speculation arose surrounding Shiel's future at Tullamarine despite his contract status for 2024, with the former Giants star linked with a trade to the Saints that might've aided Essendon's plans to secure free agent Jade Gresham
The mumurs blindsided Shiel at the time, with the 30-year-old having not sought the exit door at Essendon.
"To be honest I wasn't looking (for a fresh start)," he said.
"It was a surprise when the media reported it. I was enjoying my off-season with the family. It's an interesting time of the year - as a footy club and a player you take two weeks where you think about what you're doing with your life and your career.
"There was the opportunity to move to the Saints. Fortunately, I'm still here, this is where I've always wanted to be.
"I've been really clear with the club about how committed I am to helping this club get to where it wants to be."
A foot injury has since plagued the one-time All-Australian, whose last full game in the red and black came in May as multiple setbacks and subsequent surgery have left him in a race to be fit for Round 1.
Shiel is unlikely to feature across either of Essendon's upcoming practice matches and remains an outside chance to face Hawthorn on February 16, however the midfielder can see the end of the tunnel after a long pre-season spent on the sidelines.
On a tailored training program and relying on the AlterG treadmill to help lift his running capacity, Shiel is taking new steps in his bid to have an impact under Brad Scott this season.
"It's getting better every week which is good. It's been a slow journey over this pre-season and off-season, but fortunately I'm making some good ground," Shiel said of his foot injury.
"It's probably too soon to be playing just yet, we haven't got a hard time on (a return date) yet.
"We're just making sure that I can work get the foot right, get the body okay so that when I declare myself fit to play I'm ready to perform. If that's a practice game or Round 1 then great. If it's not, well we'll just have to take it as it is.
"I've been progressing really well. I've had no setbacks during the recovery time.
"I've been doing a mountain of work that doesn't give me too much credibility in the gym with how much weight I'm shifting, but it's important work that I'm doing."
Entering the twilight of his career and with a plethora of young Bombers pressing their case for more midfield action in 2024, Shiel's plans to return to the field won't come without angst.
Adding to the conversation of selection competition, Shiel won't be lying down in his attempt to prove his best as a Bombers might be yet to come.
"I've still got plenty of football left in me. That's why I'm still here," he said.
"I'm still giving my best every day with everything I do. My training, in meetings, even in my recovery I'm trying to help others get better as well.
"I don't think anybody would come out not trying to give it their best or I believe they can give it their best. That's certainly the mindset I've taken.
"I've taken every year as an opportunity to play a career-best year. Brad's been really encouraging to guys taking that approach, even if they've been around for more than a decade."
Shiel played in as many finals through the Giants' first five years in the AFL as he has during his first five terms at Essendon, with the veteran midfielder seeing slight comparisons between the two list builds.
While the hunger within the Bombers' playing group is evident, Shiel stressed the need to be patient and pounce toward a premiership when the time is right.
"We've got a very young, exciting, enthusiastic group and I think we can get caught up on the teams that have [rebuilt] really quickly in the past, like the Richmond's and those sort of clubs that have gone from 13th to winning a premiership in one year. They're probably outliers," he said.
"We don't want to get caught up on trying to change it super quickly. We want to do it the right way, so that when we play finals football it's going to be sustainable for this group.
"I think Brad and Zach (Merrett) would reiterate that."
Essendon's 2024 campaign will commence against Hawthorn at the MCG on Saturday, March 16.
