Essendon has made a further three changes to its list ahead of the 2017 season.
The Club would like to thank veteran Courtenay Dempsey, Will Hams and Gach Nyuon for their contributions to the Club.
After 11 seasons and 133 games in the red and black, Courtenay Dempsey was today informed his contract would not be renewed.
Dempsey joined the Bombers from Morningside, made his AFL debut in Round 7, 2006 against Carlton and was honoured with Essendon Football Club Life Membership in 2015.
General Manager of Football, Rob Kerr, thanked the versatile veteran for his outstanding services to the Essendon Football Club.
“Courtenay has made a significant contribution to the Club both on and off the field during a career which spanned more than a decade at Essendon,” Kerr said.
“He played with flair and courage, was a role model to his young teammates and has worked hard to make a difference in the Indigenous community.
“Courtenay should be extremely proud of what he has achieved at Essendon, and on behalf of everyone at the Club, we wish Courtenay, his partner Danielle and children Chenae, Taitum and Mekhi every success for the future.”
General Manager of Football, Rob Kerr, thanked Hams for his service over the past four seasons.
“Since arriving at the Club Will has shown great resilience and commitment in his approach to his career,” Kerr said.
“Will has had an unfortunate run of injuries so far, yet has worked extremely hard on key components of his game and was rewarded with some regular senior football in the back half of this season.
“He has always lead by example in his efforts to manage the demands of football and studying, and is well-respected not only for his on-field hardness, but also his positive attitude off the field.”
Kerr also thanked Nyuon for his efforts during his first year at the Club.
“Gach is obviously still raw and still has parts of his game that he’s working on,” Kerr said.
“We have faced challenging decisions with our list management and competition for spots is very tough.
“Gach is keen to learn, so we hope he continues to develop his game as he works towards reaching his football potential.
“Both Will and Gach will always be welcome at the Essendon Football Club and we wish them all the best for the future.”
Hams was drafted to the Club with pick 6 in the 2013 Pre-Season Draft and played 13 senior games for the Bombers after making his debut in Round 10, 2013 against Sydney.
Nyuon was drafted with pick 4 in the National Rookie Draft in 2015 and made his debut in the VFL during the 2016 season.
Summary of changes to date;
- Trades: Michael Hibberd (Melbourne Football Club)
- Retirees: Adam Cooney & Tayte Pears
- Delistings: James Gwilt, Jason Ashby, Shaun Edwards, Tom Wallis, Nick Kommer, Yestin Eades, Will Hams, Gach Nyuon & Courtenay Dempsey
