Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti is closing in on a return to Essendon, according to AFL Media’s Cal Twomey.
The livewire forward left Tullamarine in May when he announced his retirement, but recent reports have suggested he has been keen to return to the top level in 2023 after his personal circumstances changed.
While the 29-year-old has also been linked with Fremantle, Twomey expects him to return to the club where he played 126 games between 2016 and 2021.
“I think there’s every chance he’s back at the Bombers,” Twomey said on SEN’s Sportsday.
“I think that’s probably where he’d prefer to be playing and I think there’s a keenness to get him back.
“It obviously all ended pretty abruptly from a public sense, but I think there was the writing on the wall for some time as well in the lead-up to that retirement in May.”
While new Essendon coach Brad Scott is reportedly keen on bringing McDonald-Tipungwuti back into the fold, Twomey doesn’t expect the Tiwi Islander to return to his best immediately.
“It’s going to be a challenge for him to get back and play AFL footy, he hasn’t played since the end of 2021,” Twomey said.
“He was dropped for that finals series for them and wasn’t near AFL conditioning when he was there this year at the club.
“That’s a challenge, but I think now his personal circumstances have changed and I think it’s headed that way.”
AFL clubs have until today to classify players as officially retired and remove them from the list.
If the Bombers designate McDonald-Tipungwuti as retired, he’ll likely return to the club as a Supplemental-Selection Period pick-up early next year.