Essendon have had one of the best off seasons of any side in the competition and that has continued today, announcing the re-signings of Jake Long, Shaun McKernan and Jackson Merrett.
Long has been elevated to the senior list while McKernan remains on the rookie list (category A) having played 18 with the club over three years.
“Shaun gives us good depth as another ruckman, a mature-aged ruckman, while we have two developing young ruckman in Sam Draper and Luke Lavender,” coach John Worsfold said.
“He has the flexibility to play as a key forward for us, if required as well.
“He is a player that works really hard, has a great attitude, great work ethic and fits in really well with the values that we are living.”
Under new rules, Category A rookies won't need to be upgraded to the senior list in order to play with the senior side.
Long, who failed to appear in the senior side in 2017, played three senior games in 2016 and his upgrade is a show of faith in the 21-year-old midfielder.
“Jake has shown a lot of promise in the way he plays. He is mainly on the wing but we think he can play half-back as well,” Worsfold said.
“He has good speed, good ability to break the lines and deliver the ball going forward.
“He continues to grow as a footballer and we think his best footy is ahead.
“Obviously upgrading Jake isn’t a light decision but we see the upside in what he can bring and we think he has learnt a lot about what it takes to be an AFL footballer and he is ready to grab that spot on the senior list.”
Merrett re-signs with the club after reporting touring Port Adelaide's facilities last week.
Merrett is the most senior of the trio having played 54 games with the club over six years with Worsfold saying more consistency is what he requires to cement a spot in the side.
“Jackson has already shown he can play a good level of AFL and he has been working on parts of his game to make him a more consistent performer. We have seen that coming through,” Worsfold said.
“Even though he didn’t get any opportunities in 2017, we think he will add value if he breaks into our team.
“Jackson’s attitude is great, he works really hard and stays really positive, even during the tough times he faced in 2017 making him a respected player at the Club.”
