Essendon currently has just one player on its list to have not played a game of senior AFL football with that number to rise following the national and rookie drafts ahead of the start of the 2015 season.

Ahead of the draft later this month Irish recruit Conor McKenna is the only player currently on the club’s list to have not played a game at AFL level.

Newly appointed Head of Development Mark Neeld said 2015 would be an important time of growth for a number of the club’s younger players.

“It is a really interesting development time for the footy club given that at the moment young Conor McKenna who has just arrived is the only one on the list that hasn’t had a taste of senior footy,” Neeld said.

“That is a really interesting period for the club so the role of the development group is to bring as many of those players up to the standard that James and the rest of the senior coaches want.

“So that will be our focus and role for the year.”

Essendon will take two live selections into the November 27 National Draft on the Gold Coast before turning its attention to the rookie draft.

The club is then expected to select Jake Long as a rookie selection after already nominating him for pre-selection as well as re-recruiting Kurt Aylett onto the club’s rookie list.

Speaking after his first week in the role Neeld said he was excited about the enthusiasm already shown from the club’s development group in their first week of pre-season training.

“It has been terrific so far and it is great to be back in training having been back all week,” he said.

“They have come back in really good shape and it is good to work with a group of really young kids that are really keen to improve there footy so they have hit the ground running.

“They are all buzzing around early and very enthusiastic which is great to see.”

Neeld said he had enjoyed getting to know his fellow coaching staff and players over the last week ahead of the full playing list returning on November 17.