Essendon's attacking half will boast some extra buzz with the arrival of indigenous small forward Irving Mosquito at the 2018 NAB AFL Draft.

Hailing from Halls Creek and growing up a Bombers supporter, the 18-year-old's dream came true when Hawthorn decided not to match Essendon's bid at pick 38, despite having rights to him under the Next Generation Academy rules.

Possessing an exciting turn of speed and goal sense, Mosquito's creativity will complement the likes of exciting forwards Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, Orazio Fantasia and Jake Stringer in seasons to come.

Though he missed the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships through injury, Mosquito showed his ability to turn games in a strong finish to the TAC Cup season with Gippsland Power.

GM of List and Recruiting Adrian Dodoro said Mosquito was an enticing long-term prospect.

"He's an exciting talent. He’s going to take a bit of time, and we know that, but he’s one for the future," Dodoro said. 

"He grew up barracking for Essendon, which is a huge bonus, and Michael Long was his idol. There’s already that synergy with the club.

"He’ll do Year 12 next year so there’s no expectations on what he can do next year, but in the future we’ll have a pretty exciting player on our hands."


Irving Mosquito in action for Gippsland Power. (Photo: AFL Media)

Irving Mosquito's bio:

Age: 18

Height: 176cm

Weight: 72kg

Position: Forward

Recruited from: Gippsland Power

This news is brought to you by Orchard HRO, the club's Official Recruitment and List Management Partner.