General manager of football Josh Mahoney says while Essendon is open to welcoming new players via the trade period, its priority is to strengthen its draft hand.

The Bombers currently holds picks Nos. 11, 48 and 53 in the upcoming NAB AFL Draft, having been a major player in last year's draft with three first-round selections for the first time in club history.

Nik Cox (pick No.8) and Archie Perkins (No.9) became instant hits in their debut seasons, with young, high-end talent a key driver in Essendon's rise and return to finals in 2021.

While the Bombers have been among the most active clubs in recent trade periods - Jye Caldwell (GWS), Nick Hind (St Kilda) and Peter Wright (Gold Coast) were welcomed last year - Mahoney tempered expectations around next week's trade period.

"This trade period's a little bit different. A lot of clubs would say there's not going to be a lot of movement, but you never know what's going to happen. At this stage, our main philosophy is with our draft hand," Mahoney said.

"Talking to [national recruiting manager] Rob Forster-Knight, we think there's a lot of quality in this draft. We want to improve our draft position to add to the current group we've got. We think it's a young, developing group, and we think adding more talent from the draft is our key focus at the moment.

"We've seen the improvement you can get from your current list. We saw this year, somewhere like 12 to 15 players improved and had career-best years. We think there's still a lot of development in our current group. We think adding to that with [young] talent, you get a number of players that come through at the same age group.

"We had three first-round picks last year, and if we can add more to that, then all of a sudden you've got a big group of young guys who can come through and build cohesion and understanding together. That's been a key part of all the successful teams over a long period of time."

The upcoming trade period will mark Mahoney's first at Essendon, with the 2004 Port Adelaide premiership player joining the Bombers in December last year after heading up Melbourne's football program for eight seasons.

Having seen what it takes to build a premiership side, Mahoney said he had full confidence in Essendon's list management plan.

"The key thing is you have to have a plan, so that's what we've been able to develop. We're really clear about where we are at the moment, and then it's about building on that," he said.

"What you won't see is us going out in all different ways. Last year we had draft picks and we were very selective about the players we brought in through the trade period. I think that's the way to go.

"Through the draft is where you get your high-end talent, and then it's being really selective about the type of players you bring in through the trade period. Over time, not just at Melbourne but at other clubs, that has proven to be successful, and is certainly the way we're approaching it."

The free agency period will kick off on Friday, with the Continental Tyres AFL Trade Period beginning on Monday and concluding on Wednesday, October 13.