The re-signings have continued for Essendon’s VFL team.  On the back of six key signatures yesterday, the Club can announce a further three players have re-signed.

Aaron Heppell, Ben McNiece and Isaac Muller will all be with the Bombers next season as the side looks to improve on their 2015 Preliminary Final appearance.

VFL Operations Manager Matt Little provided these insights in to the latest batch of VFL signings.

Aaron Heppell

“Hep found it difficult throughout the year to break in to the side.  He finally got an opportunity in round 18 and played the last three games straight.  He performed really well and then played in all three finals.  He polled votes in a number of the games he played in and we’re looking for him to pick up from where he left off next year. 

“So many of the acts he performed in the final against the Bulldogs where he chased people down from behind and he went back with the flight and spoiled Tom Boyd – he’s giving probably 20 centimetres in height – it was pretty exceptional.

“You know what you get with Hep.  He’s really courageous; his tenacity is second to none.  We’re really excited about having him back for 2016.”

Ben McNiece

“Benny had a really good year.  I think he played 12 games, which is probably more than he expected at the start of the year.  He’s really giving himself an opportunity to progress in to the AFL.  He’s got really good speed, he’s a really powerful athlete who uses the ball really well off half back.  He doesn’t get beaten in one on one contests, which is really important from a small backs perspective.

“I suppose after his first year, the knock on him was that his endurance wasn’t great but what he did over pre-season held him in really good stead for playing VFL football.  Now, looking at his GPS data, there is no reason why he couldn’t play AFL football.  I think that’s why some clubs have started to take an interest in him because the way he defends, the way he uses the ball – in combination with his athletic ability is something that's valuable to an AFL club.”

Isaac Muller

“Issy is probably the strongest 19 year old I’ve ever seen.  He played six games for us this year.  He worked incredibly hard on his endurance and his speed.  We probably played him a little bit out of position when we played him as a forward but we want to develop that side of his game.  This year we’ll be looking for him to spend a bit more time in the ruck and pinch hit through the forward line.  He’s very much in the Nick Meese (Williamstown) mould except he’s a bit taller, and if he can play like Nick Meese at VFL level, he’ll be a very good player for us.”