A lot will be drawn upon from Essendon VFL’s incredible finals run this season, according to Nick O’Brien.

It was the first time since 2005 that an Essendon-affiliated reserves side had progressed beyond the first week of the finals.

O’Brien admitted that the intensity of finals action will be crucial to the development of young players for 2016 and beyond.

“It certainly is a different type of game,” O’Brien said.

“I think the pressure in the finals is certainly is as close to an AFL standard game as what you’d get in the VFL.”

Upon retirement this season, Paul Chapman spoke to the group about the value to the entire football club that can be taken from a successful VFL side.

O’Brien said that the VFL Dons had taken that with them throughout the finals despite falling short in a Preliminary Final.

“There has been lots of guys talk this year about the importance of VFL finals for us younger guys,” he said.

“I know Paul Chapman spoke about how it was like that at Geelong, and even Jason Winderlich and Jobe Watson said they played in some VFL finals early in their career.”