Dyson Heppell will Captain Essendon for the remainder of the season, but his leadership qualities have been evident since he arrived at the Club according to Bombers great Matthew Lloyd.

When Jobe Watson went down with his shoulder injury, the Bombers chose Heppell as the man to fill the void while the regular skipper undergoes his rehabilitation.

Lloyd said Heppell would set a fine example for his teammates.

“Just his consistency over that 98 games has been phenomenal,” Lloyd said.

“He just keeps pushing himself, every day he’s trying to get better.

“Someone of Heppell’s class on-field and character off-field is very rare.”

Lloyd had retired by the time Heppell first arrived at the Bombers, but a trip to watch his old side in a practice match at the Whitten Oval in 2011 revealed the club had uncovered something special.

“I remember watching him run back into the pack about three or four times,” Lloyd said.

“He’s one of the hardest trainers from day one that I’ve ever seen.

“He won the respect of his older teammates from pretty much the first day he walked in.”

Since then, Heppell has established himself as a crucial member of the Dons midfield. 

Lloyd said he’d be well supported by the likes of Brendon Goddard and Brent Stanton throughout the remaining matches.