Dyson Heppell admits he was lost for words when John Worsfold asked him if he would like to take on the captaincy.

A childhood fan, Heppell grew up watching some of the Club’s greatest players lead the Bombers to victory.

He left Worsfold’s office and informed loved ones of the honour bestowed upon him.

The Crichton Medal winner even sent a text to his Coach later in the day just to reaffirm his excitement at taking on the role.

A steady stream of media interviews and his regular training program have kept Heppell busy in the period since the announcement.

There has also been contact from former Captains. Those words left Heppell in no doubt about the significance of the role he has assumed.

“It’s huge, growing up barracking for the Bombers and seeing some of the great Captains come through,” Heppell said.

“Even speaking to a couple of them and them letting me know that it was their greatest individual honour to Captain the Club and that sat pretty deeply with me.

“You soon realise how big a role and how big an achievement it is.

“It’s a very exciting time and I feel I’m now ready for the role.”

As Heppell was rising through the footballing ranks he paid close attention to fellow Gippsland product Scott Pendlebury and Brisbane midfielder Simon Black – the first player in AFL history to win a Norm Smith medal, premiership medal, Brownlow medal and play 300 games.

The Bombers selected Heppell with the eighth overall pick in the 2010 National Draft.

He made an immediate impact collecting 20 possessions and a rising star nomination in his AFL debut. Since that day he has been a mainstay of the Essendon midfield.

The Bombers Captain played 106 out of a possible 112 games in his first five seasons and along the way he’s appreciated the lessons he’s learned from the Club’s leaders.

“Jobe has been a fantastic mentor, learning from his leadership. I’ve learnt a lot from Brendon Goddard as well,” he said.

“BJ is a different style of leader. You can take bits and pieces from what they do, learn from them and the key thing for me is to add my own authenticity to this leadership role.”

Heppell got a taste of the Captaincy in 2015 when Watson went down with a shoulder injury. His first and last games as stand-in Captain that season ended in victory, but in between there were some tough defeats.

“It took me a little bit to adapt to that role when Jobe did go down in that 2015 season,” Heppell said.

“I learnt a lot through that time, it was a pretty tough period to take over as Captain, so that was a great learning experience.

“I knew from that point what it took to be the Captain and the extra responsibility it held and I soon adapted to that role.

“I’m really looking forward to starting afresh this year.”

Heppell will lead an Essendon squad armed with a group of committed returning players, a young group fast tracked by the opportunities gained last season and a core of players about to enter their best footballing years.

“We’ve had an amazing pre-season – not too many injuries, which is key this time of year,” Heppell said.

“It’s very exciting on the track.

“We’ll be looking to start the season strong and who knows what we can bring. “