Essendon development coach Cam Roberts has singled out youngsters Kobe Mutch, Dylan Clarke and Brayden Ham for their improvement this pre-season.

Arrving at The Hangar in December via an unconventional path, Roberts has been tasked with overseeing the development of the club's first to fourth-year midfielders and leading the VFL midfield.

And while he was impressed with the entire playing list's dedication during last week's camp in Coffs Harbour, he couldn't look past the aforementioned trio as leading examples.

“Kobe and Dylan Clarke have been awesome to work with. The entire group has been great, but I think those two have really stood out with their work ethic,” Roberts said.

“Brayden Ham is still only a second-year player, but he has taken some big strides this pre-season.

“The young group that I am working closely with are all progressing really well. They are all in an important stage of their football career, in their early 20s, and need to start to make a mark.”

Clarke, 21, enjoyed a breakout season in 2019 that culminated in a finals berth, while No.72 draft pick Ham conjured five senior games in his debut season.

2019 was a different story for Mutch, however, with the athletic 21-year-old spending much of the season recovering from a high-grade hamstring injury suffered in round three against Melbourne.

Roberts said he was focused on preparing youngsters like Mutch in their quest for more senior exposure in 2020.

“I would love to see them get their opportunity and take it, whether they get that in the pre-season (games) and sustain it or whenever their opportunity comes,” he said.

“I hope every player in our group pushes for selection and when given the chance, they can grab it with hands and give themselves the best opportunity moving forward.

“If they can do that, then hopefully it means we are having a positive impact on them and doing well as a coaching group.”

Working closely with Blake Caracella and Mark Harvey, Roberts said he had gained significant knowledge from the experienced duo in his short time at the Bombers.

“I work closely with 'Cara' and 'Harvs'. Whatever they are doing at AFL level we will replicate at VFL level, so I keep honing on what they are pushing with the group,” he said.

“They are a great team to work with. Cara has a wealth of knowledge and an understanding around attack strategy and the way in which he wants us to play. As a midfield group, we are involved in the setup of that.

“Harvs has been working with our group on stoppages and ensuring the guys are able to replicate that at VFL level.

“It has been a jam-packed 10 weeks of information, but I am learning a lot and really enjoying it.”

Essendon will begin its 2020 campaign against West Coast in the Marsh Community Series on February 27.