Experienced Essendon midfielder Dylan Shiel is excited about the young crop of players coming through at The Hangar.
Having taken five early first-round picks in the last three seasons, Bombers fans are hoping to see their stars of the future make an impact and Shiel expects that to happen in 2023.
The latest of those prized selections is Oakleigh Chargers product Elijah Tsatas, who was highly rated throughout junior representative football and was eventually taken with pick No. 5 in the 2022 National Draft.
While the on-baller has only been at the club for a couple of months, Shiel is already seeing good signs from Tsatas which should hold him in good stead during his debut season.
“I’m really liking the look of Elijah,” Shiel told SEN’s Sportsday.
“I think he’ll spend a bit of time through the mid and forward.
“I love the way he just goes about hunting the footy around the contest.
“He gets low and right over it, he’s not afraid to cop a knock over the head as well.
“He’s been really good at getting a few free kicks by putting his head over it, which is a good sign for a first-year player that’s willing to get in and get dirty.
“So, his hands are good and I’m looking forward to seeing him build his game and eventually playing some footy.”
While Tsatas makes a name for himself in his first pre-season, Shiel is also excited about other young Dons who are returning to the club after getting a taste of senior football in recent campaigns.
“I think we’ve got a really talented young group coming through,” Shiel said.
“Guys like Archie Perkins and Nik Cox entering their third year have plenty to offer. With Coxy, we haven’t seen a lot of him in the last season or so.
“Ben Hobbs is obviously developing nicely as well, so we’ve got some really good players coming through.”
Essendon will hope their improving youngsters and the addition of coach Brad Scott helps them better last season’s performance which saw them finish 15th with just seven wins to their name.
The Bombers kick off their 2023 campaign with a Round 1 clash against Hawthorn at the MCG on Sunday, March 19.