Essendon’s recruiting team has met for the final time ahead of tonight’s National Draft.
The Bombers enter the selection meeting with their best hand of picks in recent memory.
The Club has four picks inside the first two rounds, including two top five selections, but the recruiting team will wait for the draft to unfold before deciding just how many of their later picks they will use.
“Probably six players - we’ll probably pass at our last pick, that’s what the indications are,” List and Recruiting Manager Adrian Dodoro said.
“But it all depends on what is left.
“Sometimes in drafts you get a player you’ve rated really early and he’s still sitting there at pick 80.
“A couple of years ago – Orazio Fantasia – we had him mid 20’s and he’s still sitting there in the 50’s so hopefully tonight we get a few of those, it’d be great.”
The Bombers have been finalising their draft plan since the conclusion of the trade period.
“It’s hectic, it actually gets busier by the day,” Dodoro said.
“There is a little bit of cat and mouse because you don’t want to declare your hand.
“What we’re trying to do is just make sure we’ve checked off on every little detail.
“A lot of it is about your psych reporting, your fitness reporting, your interviewing, doing referrals, reference checking.
“It’s a big business and you’ve got to get it right.
“There is no guarantees but you’ve just got to minimize the risks.”
The last time the Bombers fielded a top five selection, they were able to secure Michael Hurley.
He’s now an All-Australian defender and the Bombers will be hoping they can secure some young talent with similar potential later tonight.
“The plan is set - it’s been set for quite a while, it’s just wait and see now,” Dodoro said.
“We’ve done all the work, we’ve done our final assessments.
“Today is just about keeping your eyes and ears open and finding out what may happen on the night.
“We’ve met with the recruiting team this morning, finalised things there, and we’ll have a meeting with John Worsfold fairly soon as well.
“We’re thrilled that we’re going to walk out with two terrific players at picks four and five tonight and our fans really deserve it.”
