As we approach Round 1, Essendon still hasn’t quite yet worked out what their ideal forward line looks like.
Cale Hooker has retired, Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti is working his way back to full fitness and Jake Stringer will continue to play more midfield.
In their absence, who will stand up and kick a winning score for the Bombers?
Head of Football Josh Mahoney admits they haven’t yet worked it all out.
“There’s definitely some opportunities. Cale Hooker retired last year, Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti isn’t available early in the season, so there’s some opportunities for people to stand up,” Mahoney told Sportsday SA.
“I can’t tell you who that will be right now, which is half-exciting, because we know someone will step up as we saw last year.
“We’ve got a few different people playing down there. We’ve got the South Australian in Kane Baldwin who’s on our rookie list, he’ll get an opportunity and play again this weekend.
“Whether it’s another young guy like him who steps up, that’s what we’re really excited about.”
Mahoney added that McDonald-Tipungwuti will spend a period of time in the VFL building his fitness once he’s cleared to play.
“He’s back training he’s in full training at the moment working on his fitness. He’s probably a few weeks away from being able to play a game and then he’ll build his fitness through the VFL,” he said.
“All things going well we’ll have him for AFL selection as quick as possible. He’s such an important and dynamic player for us.”
Down the other end of the ground, free agency recruit Josh Kelly is now reportedly in doubt for Round 1 due to lingering concussion symptoms.
Mahoney believes the ex-Crow will play an important role for the side in 2022.
“He’s going to be very important for us. He has a lot of experience and there were players in our backline last year who’d never played in the backline,” he said.
“Jayden Laverde had been forward, James Stewart forward and back, Dyson Heppell went to half back, Nick Hind, so there’s so many new players down there and we just felt like getting someone who was a genuine defender and competitive like Jake is going to be really important for our group.”
Essendon will take on St Kilda on Saturday night in the AAMI Community Series before facing Geelong in Round 1.
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