The VFL Bombers have added young ruckman Riley Bowman to their list, signing the 19-year-old ahead of the June 30 deadline last week.
The former NAB League Sandringham Dragon has already played a handful of matches for Essendon this past month, including a standout performance against Port Melbourne.
In the 69-point triumph, Bowman recorded 36 hitouts, 17 disposals, five marks and five tackles, earning him a spot in the round 12 VFL Team of the Week.
From his five Essendon VFL matches, the 200cm youngster has averaged 12.6 disposals, 3.6 marks and 17.6 hitouts while tallying two goals.
Riley Bowman in action for the VFL Bombers. (Photo: AFL Photos)
Senior coach Dan Jordan is looking forward to seeing how Bowman continues to develop.
“I suppose around Riley’s development it (was a choice) of what would be better for him – playing under-18s NAB League or playing VFL footy at 19 years old against some really seasoned guys,” Jordan said.
“There was an opportunity there, so speaking with Riley it wasn’t just a list spot to fill, it was more an opportunity for him to play more VFL footy in the back half of the year.
“We wanted to give Riley that opportunity to develop himself further and I think he has showed some really good signs playing in our program in the last four or five weeks – there’s some things to work on which Riley is aware of, but there’s also some really good things that we like about him.
“He’s fitted into our system pretty seamlessly and competes hard for us, so we hope he can play some good footy for us in the back half of the season.”
Bowman’s signing fills the list spot left vacant by departing speedster Ray Connellan, who returned home to Ireland last month.
Brooke Varney is in the final year of her Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) degree at RMIT University. As part of their strategic partnership, Essendon Football Club and RMIT University are committed to providing opportunities for students, staff, players and the wider community.
