A dynamic key forward, a genuine dasher, an elite user by foot, and a competitive ruck presence.
Those are four of the boxes ticked with Essendon’s 2023 AFL Draft picks Nate Caddy, Luamon Lual, Archie Roberts, and Vigo Visentini, according to the club’s National Recruiting Manager Rob Forster-Knight.
Speaking in the aftermath of the draft, Forster-Knight said the Bombers were left confident in their ability to provide depth and flexibility around the ground with their selections.
“We’re really happy, there’s a mix of players there who can play different positions and roles,” Forster-Knight said.
“Night one was a great outcome for the club picking a key forward (in Nate Caddy) and it gave us some flexibility in night two of the draft.”
Initially equipped with picks 11 and 31, the Bombers executed a late swap with Geelong to move up the order and secure Caddy with pick No. 10, after the key forward had attracted interest from several suitors.
Highly rated by the club heading into the draft, Forster-Knight said the Bombers were always prepared to make the necessary adjustments to acquire the 18-year-old’s services.
“Nate (Caddy) was a player that we really wanted to target, we were prepared to move up and we explored that pretty early with other clubs,” Forster-Knight said.
“Lucky enough, Geelong came to the table for it, and we got the player we wanted. We think Nate is going to fit into our club really well.
“He’s a player with enormous potential in terms of his athletic and football ability, so we think he’ll grow into our environment and become a really important player in the future.”
Using their second pick (No. 39 overall) on rebounding defender Luamon Lual, the Bombers have injected more speed and flair into their squad.
For Forster-Knight, Lual’s standout attributes – both on-field and off – contributed to the Dons’ decision to snare the 18-year-old.
“Luamon is a really exciting playmaker off half-back, he provides a lot of excitement, dash, and really high-end athletic ability,” Forster-Knight said.
“He's a young man of the highest character and I think our fans will really love seeing him play.
“He only started the game of footy as a 12-year-old, so we think there’s still an enormous amount of upside. He had to travel a fair bit this year as a Warrnambool kid and did a great job of still performing to a really high level (with the GWV Rebels and Vic Country).”
Projected by some draft experts to land inside the top 25, the Bombers’ selection of Archie Roberts at pick No. 54 sat very well with the recruiting team.
Roberts’ versatility and quality use of the ball in defence made the call easy for Forster-Knight and the Bombers, executing a trade to gain the pick required for the left-footer.
“We weren’t expecting (Archie) to be there at pick 54, to be honest,” Forster-Knight said.
“He’s a player that’s got some versatility. He can play on the wing or half-back, is a great user, left footer, and has a really high footy IQ as well.
“Archie had a great year representing the Dragons in their premiership year and was coached by our club great Matthew Lloyd at Haileybury College, he performed really well at both levels.
“We think he’s got the temperament to come in and really learn and grow as a player, hopefully he pushes for selection in the coming years and puts some pressure on those around him."
In another addition to the club's tall stocks, ruck Vigo Visentini was acquired by the Dons with pick No. 8 in the Rookie Draft on Wednesday afternoon.
Standing at 204cm, the Sandringham Dragons and Xavier College product is a combative presence in the middle of the ground with a strong work ethic.
In the midst of a promising period at the Bombers, Forster-Knight has come away from the draft buoyed by the side’s potential with their new acquisitions.
“It’s great for the Bombers supporters to jump on board now, it’s a bit of a new-look team with the players we’ve brought in. I think there’s real depth in our squad and I’m looking forward to seeing what we can deliver (next) year,” Forster-Knight said.
