Essendon GM of list and recruiting Adrian Dodoro believes young Bomber Mason Redman has all the traits to flourish as a tall midfielder.
Redman, 22, enjoyed a breakthrough 2019 season, playing 20 games across half-back to cement a spot in Essendon’s talented back six.
He was named the club’s most improved player, having entered the season with just five AFL games under his belt after three injury-interrupted years.
Speaking on Dodcast, Dodoro said the South Australian had plenty of strings to his bow.
“He can play half-back, half-forward, on-ball, and he’s a tough, resilient kid,” Dodoro said.
“We’ve always felt he could be that tall midfielder, a bit like Corey Enright was for the Cats – those nice, six-foot-two running mids. I still think he could do that.
“He’s combative, he’s tough, and he’s got a good tank, speed and game awareness.
“Obviously we’ve got a bit of depth in our back half with Saad and McKenna, and Guelfi can play in the back half, so maybe going forward he’ll get looked at (for midfield).”
Taken at pick No.30, Redman followed the selections of Darcy Parish (five) and Aaron Francis (six) in a bumper 2015 draft for Essendon.
The son of a lobster fisherman, he enjoyed a meteoric rise in his draft year after leaving his family home in Millicent – 400km southeast of Adelaide – to join SANFL side Glenelg and chase his dream of playing in the AFL.
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“(Recruiters) Merv Keane and Bruce Evans just loved him from the first time they laid eyes on him. They were strong all year about Mason,” Dodoro said.
“The days I saw him play, he actually didn’t do a lot, so I kept challenging the boys quite a bit about whether he finds the ball.
“His numbers were pretty low, but then when we put the whole picture together about where he’d come from and where he’d travelled from, relocating and all that sort of thing, and then you meet him, you realise he’s a fairly complete package.”
Stay tuned for the seventh episode of Dodcast on Friday, as Adrian Dodoro discusses the highs and lows of the 2015/16 period for Essendon that included WADA-imposed suspensions, top-up players and a bumper draft, with James Kelly a special guest. Subscribe and listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts.
