Travis Cloke walked away with plenty of optimism from Essendon VFL’s opening practice match against Footscray.

The Development Coach has been heavily involved with the Club’s VFL program over the last couple of seasons, working closely with Michael Hurley in strengthening the connection between both the AFL and VFL lists.

In recent weeks, the wider Club has endured a challenging time, with the passing of highly respected VFL Senior Coach Dale Tapping meaning Cloke, Hurley and other Assistant Coaches have shouldered the load in the build to March’s official season start.

Despite a 20-point defeat in Saturday’s hit-out, Cloke felt the promising signs from the group’s play highlighted their mental strength over this period, viewing the season ahead as an opportunity for the group to unite and rally behind the foundations set by Tapping.

“It's been very testing for the players, staff and everyone involved with the Club,” Cloke said.

“Dale was a close friend and someone that I really looked up to over the last 10-15 years.

“The group has really galvanised over the last few days led by ‘Hurls’ (Hurley) in the build up to games. The next six or seven months will show how tough we really are and how we can implement what Dale stood for.

“He had amazing values and focuses which we want to last for a long time within the program.”

A highlight from the outing was the performance of VFL-listed forward Jared Eckersley, who’s continually looking like more of a threat as a key target with each game he plays in the role.

Leading the Club’s goalkicking last season, a four-goal haul on Saturday showcased Eckersley’s strong pre-season form on the track.

Cloke is hoping the former Gold Coast Academy player can keep it rolling throughout the campaign, regardless of whether it’s on the scoreboard or around the ground.

“He’s an interesting guy, ‘Ecksy’, he comes out with a real swagger,” Cloke said.

“When he kicks a couple of goals, he gets his chest out and about, and as a forward I love to see that. More importantly, it’s about what he brings to the group – he’s a great personality, a strong leader and gives us structure.

“If he’s kicking the goals, we’ll take it, but even when he’s not, he brings that confidence to the rest of the group to walk a bit taller.”

Experienced Dons such as Will Setterfield and Peter Wright provided a boost for the VFL brigade in the first half, who looked to juggle their line-up with a mix of youth and older heads at different stages.

After making promising inroads in the area of connection between the two programs last year, Cloke and Hurley are emphasising its importance once again in 2025, especially as competitions for spots grow in each side.

“We saw great growth from individuals but also as a team, especially given we had limited AFL players out there with the crew,” Cloke said.

“The mix of older boys and young kids both had a real impact when they were called on, so all in all, the day was a big tick.

“It’s always about the connection between the VFL and AFL programs and we try to do that pretty well at Essendon. We saw today when our six or seven AFL-listed guys came on, they really bought into what ‘Hurls’ and I have been selling in recent months.

“We saw Kayle Gerreyn kick a couple of goals late, we saw ‘Pete’ Wright provide a good presence in the first half and Rhys Unwin has been dominant at ground level as well.

“We’re looking forward to seeing that connection feed through into our VFL program.”

The Dons’ VFL squad lines up for another practice match next Tuesday, February 25, in a curtain raiser against Geelong VFL at GMHBA Stadium.