After featuring in just five games in 2023, Ash Van Loon was as driven as ever to reestablish her place in Essendon’s lineup this year.

The 20-year-old set herself up with a big pre-season of work, working closely with coaches and teammates to hone in on her defensive craft and lock down a spot within the back six.

Van Loon’s body of work would eventually receive its kudos, with the defender recalled to the Dons’ squad for their round two clash against the Eagles this year and never looking back.

Playing every game for the year bar one - including a finals debut for the side’s Elimination encounter in Perth - Van Loon accredits her development to the presence of her fellow defenders, as well as the club’s support staff and coaches.

“I’m really proud of the year that I had,” Van Loon said.

“My ability to make strides especially after not having the year I wanted in 2023 came down to the staff and coaches who were keen to work with me one-on-one.

“I knew exactly what I needed to do from that and it allowed me to just hit the ground running. On-field, it really came down to the connection I have with my teammates, whether it’s Maddi Gay coming into the backline or the confidence I’ve built from my friendship with Georgia Clarke.

“I feel I can really play my role and I have more clarity on what it is.”

Van Loon’s growth on-field has stemmed from building her fitness base and playing with confidence, which showed as the year progressed.

With the defensive group’s chemistry flourishing in the second half of the season during the Bomber’s four-game win streak, Van Loon found herself enjoying her footy more than ever.

“In performance, I feel like my fitness has definitely come a long way from last year,” Van Loon said.

“My overall skillset, knowledge of the game and the expectations of what’s required have improved and been clarified this year, which has allowed me to play some of my best footy.

“With all of that though, the biggest thing has been my confidence as both a player and person. Within the team, that’s really been able to grow this year and that’s brought about a lot of the results for me on-field.

“We’ve been able to really build that communication among the defenders this year and having more consistency with who’s down there has taught us the way everyone down there wants to play and how to be solid for each other.

“After every game, I felt like I was taking a moment to step back and look around at my teammates and the fans at Windy Hill to say ‘how cool is it that I get to do this’.”

An emphasis on turning defence into attack also fuelled Van Loon’s approach leading into the season.

By extension, Van Loon found herself on the park for longer and staying more involved in transition, recording a career-high 14 disposals in the Whitten Oval win over the Dogs.

For the solid one-on-one defender, adding new layers to her game will remain a focus going forward.

“Coming off last year, I wanted to work on the attacking aspect of my game a lot more,” Van Loon said.

“I think that can actually come off my defensive work more so than anything, often through spoiling or halving a contest, just getting my hands on it and giving the runners a chance on the outside.

“It’s definitely something I want to keep building and working on in my game.”

The unity of the squad has stood out to Van Loon, especially in the wake of their tough exit from the finals series in defeat to Fremantle.

Keeping their values and team non-negotiables at the forefront, there’s a lot of excitement for the youngster around the potential opportunities that lie ahead.

“It’s just great to be here and I’m having so much fun,” Van Loon said.

“Winning close, tough games like the one over Sydney at Whitten Oval just makes you so proud of the group’s grit, and being able to do all of it with your friends is the most enjoyable part.

“Initially (after the finals), there was a lot of emotion from the team and probably even more so than last year. It cut really deep because we know what we’re capable of and I feel like we saw a lot more of it this year.

“We’ve just persevered and been so resilient as a group to keep moving forward. We never fell away from our values and we should be really proud of that.”