Essendon great Dustin Fletcher admits it “hurt” seeing Adam Saad join Carlton.
Saad requested a trade to the Blues at the end of last season and finally moved to Ikon Park following a lengthy standoff between the two Victorian rivals.
“It was tough to lose Saad,” Fletcher told SEN Breakfast.
“When you lose a running half-back who’s in your best three in your best and fairest the last three years – that one hurt me – especially going to Carlton.”
Essendon hold picks 6,7 and 8 heading into the 2020 AFL Draft and Fletcher stressed the importance of making those three first-round selections count.
The two-time premiership Bomber would like to a see a young big-bodied midfielder targeted with one of those picks.
“Hawthorn had three top picks inside the top 10 which got them (Jarryd) Roughead, (Lance) Franklin and (Jordan) Lewis, so we need to land a couple of really good players with those picks and hopefully they can help us in the future because it’s been a bit of a tough run for the Bombers of late,” he said.
“I think we need an inside midfielder or a bull of a mid, just to get the ball out to some of these running guys.
“Because I think that’s an area that we need to improve our midfield.”
The 2020 AFL Draft takes place on Wednesday, December 9.