Essendon has secured midfielder Will Setterfield and forward Sam Weideman while holding on to its high draft selection following the conclusion of the 2022 Continental Tyres Trade Period.

The Bombers’ first trade acquisition came on Monday with Will Setterfield and pick No.68 joining the club from Carlton in exchange for a future fourth-round pick.

The 192cm inside midfielder will look to add physical presence into Essendon’s midfield. The former pick No.5 has played 57 games, averaging 15.7 disposals, 9.6 kicks and 6.1 kicks per game.

General manager, football Josh Mahoney said Setterfield stature will help bolster the club’s undersized midfield.

“It’s certainly a role that we’ve needed. He comes in as a 192cm midfielder and that’s going to really help with the size of our midfield and add some flexibility into all of our midfielders,” Mahoney told AFL Trade Radio.

“He has shown flexibility to play on the wing as well, but to come in and play in at that height and have that running ability was certainly the attraction to us.”   

The Dons’ second player acquisition took until the final day of the trade period, but saw the Bombers secure key forward Sam Weideman, pick No.54 and No.72 from Melbourne in exchange for pick No.37.

The 25-year-old arrives at the NEC Hangar as a former pick No.9, having played 59 matches across his seven years at the Demons, kicking 62 goals.

Mahoney believes Weideman has all the ready-made traits to make an immediate impact in Essendon’s best 22 after being starved of opportunities at the Demons.

“There was period in 2020 where he was the main forward for Melbourne for seven to eight weeks and kicked multiple goals for that period of time,” Mahoney told AFL Trade Radio.

“Then Ben Brown joined (Melbourne) and Tom McDonald’s came back into form and he’s been starved of opportunity.

“We know opportunity is one thing and he’s got to grasp it when he gets it. But the role we’re going to have available, we think it’s going to give him every chance to make that his own.

“(Other opportunities can come) down back, and the other would be the ruck as he did play a fair bit of ruck throughout the year at VFL level. He’s got some flexibility in his game, but he’s probably been forced to build into his game because of the lack of opportunities going forward.”

Essendon’s third and final trade period move was the farewelling of utility Aaron Francis.

Francis and pick No.42 headed to Sydney, with the Bombers receiving pick No.37 and a future fourth round selection.

Francis played 54 games for the Bombers since arriving at the club through pick No.6 in the 2015 NAB AFL National Draft.

The Bombers hold picks Nos. 4, 22, 54, 62, 68 and 72 for the 2022 NAB AFL Draft, which will be held across two nights on November 28-29.