Essendon Coach John Worsfold has thanked members for their show of support and spoken of the boost it has provided players and coaches.

The Bombers have more than 45,000 members signed up for 2017.  That’s seven thousand more than the Club’s previous best Christmas total.

“That is an amazing effort, a wonderful effort and a great sign of support for us as the guys who are out there doing that hard slog at the moment leading up to our Christmas break,” Worsfold said.

The Essendon Coach was speaking at the Club’s Annual General Meeting. 

He outlined the team’s plan for the rest of the pre-season including the announcement of the leadership group late next month. 

“Our focus has been around building our vision for 2017 in terms of the culture this group want to create together,” Worsfold said.

“The way we’re doing that is engaging with each other, setting standards for the way we go about things, the style of footy we want to play and more so the attitude we want to bring.

“This is a brand new playing list that want to create their own identity going forward.

“Part of the vision for our footy team next year will certainly be aligned with our Club vision of becoming the most respected, inclusive and successful Club within Australian sport. 

“Our players, coaches and the senior management will together determine our leadership group when we work through becoming clear about what we want to stand for this year and put that leadership group and structure in place for 2017.”

The Bombers Coach said the sight of the returning players training alongside the young players that carried so much responsibility in 2016 provided a ‘breath of fresh air’.

“This is the start of Our Comeback Story.  It began with our ten returning players, starting (training) with our young players back on the 7^th of November,” he said.

“It reinforced to me how physically immature our young players were when all of a sudden they ran out alongside Jobe Watson and Cale Hooker and with Tom Bellchambers towering over them.

“It reminded us these kids are in the very early stages of their career, but my eyes were on the returning players.

“I was keen to see how they coped, how excited they were and how fit they were. 

“(But) they were excited in the growth in Orazio Fantasia, they were excited about what Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti was producing on the training track. 

“It was a good lesson for me – our immediate future is very much in the hands of these great players that are back ready to perform on the field for us, but they want to be part of the generation that’s coming through as well.”

Worsfold also used his AGM speech to pay tribute to Courtenay Dempsey for his service to the Club and acknowledged the ‘long and distinguished’ careers of the Adam Cooney and James Gwilt.