Essendon forward Jayden Laverde believes there is a big pre-season coming for himself and the Bombers in the lead up to season 2021.
Speaking on SEN's Bob and Andy on Wednesday, Laverde, who signed a one-year contract extension with the Bombers earlier this week, said he believes there’s a clear understanding of where the club is heading under new coach Ben Rutten.
“I feel like now that Ben has taken the reins we’ve got a clear understanding of what he wants from the players and what he wants from the group,” Laverde said.
“He’s big on working hard and all being on the same page and building good team chemistry together, so I feel as though it’s a lot clearer now with Ben taking the reigns.”
On a personal front, Laverde said he’s eager to attack what will be a critical off-season for the former first round pick after a frustrating 2020 season allowed him to pull on the red and black jumper just six times.
“Unfortunately, last season wasn’t the way I wanted it to pan out. I had a pretty good pre-season last year and got through a lot of work but unfortunately it just didn’t pan out,” Laverde said.
“I felt like last year with minimal games I was on the improve every game and I feel like my best footy is around the corner. I’m using next year as a year to really take control of that and make sure I rock up in the best nick I can in pre-season and give myself the best opportunity."
With the backing of Rutten, Laverde said he believes 2021 can be the year he takes control of his spot in the Essendon line-up.
“We had a chat last week and he mentioned I’m a good asset to this side and I told him that I’m ready to take my footy to the next level and he agreed,” Laverde said.
“I feel like he’s actually empowering me to do that and I feel pretty backed.”