Will Snelling has been one of the mid-season draft success stories, landing at the Bombers two years ago.
The 23-year-old was originally picked up by Port Adelaide at the end of 2016 in the rookie draft, only playing one game before being delisted in 2018.
But the hard-nosed midfielder has taken full advantage of his second opportunity at AFL level, cementing his spot in Essendon’s best side.
Snelling – who’s originally from South Australia – says he has extra motivation to play well against Adelaide on Friday night, considering his mother is a mad Crows fan.
“It’s all about timing and luck,” Snelling said on SEN SA Breakfast when asked about his path to becoming a fully-fledged footballer.
“It just happened that Essendon needed my position at that time so there’s no real hard feelings.
“The only feeling I’ll say is mum is a big Crows supporter and it probably gives me a bit of extra incentive to get the win this week and then I can rub her nose in it.”
Snelling recently re-committed to the Bombers until the end of 2023, having only just made his return from a thumb injury.
The Bombers will be looking to keep their finals hopes alive with a victory over the Crows, with Ben Rutten’s side losing their last two games against Melbourne and Geelong respectively.