In the big time, in the blink of an eye.
Just a day on from being drafted, seven new Bombers were already making themselves at home, having either hopped in the car or caught the flight to Tullamarine to begin their journeys as an AFL player.
One of the Bombers’ busiest drafts in recent years has seen a unique mix of talent join the club, ranging from their National Draft selections through to rookies familiar with the surroundings of the NEC Hangar.
For Category B Rookie Jayden Nguyen, that dream of making an AFL list isn’t just resonant personally, but among his family and a community he’s hoping to inspire and pave new ground for.
“Obviously, footy’s not prevalent in the Vietnamese culture and with me being a figure like this, I think I can inspire the next Vietnamese generation coming through,” Nguyen said.
“Hopefully, more Vietnamese children can start playing footy and wear some footy jerseys that are the Essendon colours.
“The boys have gotten around me and made it really easy to be accustomed to everything so far, I’m just keen to get to work.”
Getting used to an AFL environment has been made easier by the extensive nature of the Dons’ draft crop, with the group of teenagers able to share their experiences in the early stages of their step up to the elite level.
That’s been felt for pick No.61 Rhys Unwin, who’s already seeing the relationships form in just a matter of days.
Finally getting some alone time in the aftermath of the draft on his drive into Melbourne, Unwin also took his moment to reflect on the achievement of being selected by the Dons.
“(Making an AFL list) didn’t really sink in until the night I left, to be honest,” Unwin said.
“That was the first time I’d really been alone and I sat there for a minute and thought ‘this is really happening’.
“To have a heap of the boys come along for the ride is so good. We all get along really well and we’re clicking pretty much straight away.
For interstate draftees Kayle Gerreyn and Angus Clarke (picks No.37 and No.39 respectively), packing the bags to move to Victoria could be a daunting task, but the Dons’ senior players are ensuring the kids are feeling at home.
For Clarke, that’s come in the form of moving in with Mason Redman - a player he’s patterned his game after - with Bomber fans already endearingly crafting a ‘big brother-little brother’ dynamic for the two Glenelg products.
“I actually woke the whole house up with my alarm (on day one), Mason wasn’t too happy about that,” Clarke said.
“It’s a good bunch of boys here and I’m keen to grow some really good friendships with them.”
For Gerreyn, the trip from Western Australia has been mapped out nicely, with more experienced players ensuring the 199cm product is settling into the club well.
“Everyone (makes) you feel a part of it,” Gerreyn said.
“Coming over is pretty daunting but their support and how they’ve been with us first-years and especially me has been second-to-none, I can’t thank them enough.”
In the case of pick No.70 Zak Johnson, coming in alongside former Parade College teammates Isaac Kako and Nate Caddy, as well as former Coach Ricky Dyson has also helped his integration.
With Johnson being the youngest eligible player in the draft class (still yet to turn 18), those connections are coming in handy for even just getting to the club day to-day.
“It makes a big difference coming in with Isaac and Nate, obviously I was lucky enough to play footy with them last year,” Johnson said.
“Not turning 18 until the 24th of December means Nate’s been driving me around, so I’m very lucky for that and very thankful.
“To have Rick (Dyson) by my side was really special and he’s been a big mentor for me throughout my footy so I’m really grateful for him.”
Rookie selection Archer Day-Wicks from Bendigo is another who's been happy to lean on the senior players in his first week.
"It’s a very welcoming group," Day-Wicks said.
"The likes of Dylan Shiel and Jayden Laverde have taken me under the wing and are getting to know me, it’s really good."
