Essendon is confident it can add two quality youngsters to its list with the club’s first two selections in next month’s National Draft on the Gold Coast.

The Bombers enter the draft with two live picks at 17 and 20 following the completion of the 2014 trade period.

General Manager – Football Operations Rob Kerr said the club was feeling optimistic about its current draft position.

“Everyone knows we have had two years of sanctions with respect to the draft but we feel that having two picks inside the top 20 alleviates that to a degree,” Kerr said.

“Even though we have brought a couple of older guys in we should get two quality youngsters through the door with those two picks.”

“If it all goes perfectly to plan we will have three quality young players added to our group.”

The club recently signed exciting young Irishman Conor McKenna to the rookie list under the alternative talent program.

Kerr said the addition of McKenna was likely to assist the club in dealing with the draft sanctions handed down over 2012 governance failings.

“We are very pleased to have signed Irishman Conor McKenna a couple of weeks ago,” Kerr said.

“He is going to be a development project but in terms of his athletic quality he is going to have the athletic quality of a first round pick so we have to turn him into a footballer.”

“We  know that the material we are working with is really good.”

The 2014 National Draft will take place on November 27 on the Gold Coast with the 1st list lodgement to be made by 2pm on October 31.