Courtney Johns was picked up by the Bombers in the 2002 rookie draft. Essendon took a punt no other club was prepared to take. After badly dislocating his hip in his final year of under-18 football, medical advice was that Johns was unlikely to ever play again. They were wrong. This Saturday afternoon he will make his senior debut with Essendon.

It has been a remarkable fight to the top level for the 20-year-old. He has undergone three hip operations and months of rehabilitation. Before his return to VFL football five weeks ago, he had spent 18 months on the sidelines – for a large chunk of that time he wasn’t even allowed to run. His selection is a tribute to his persistence and a triumph for the Essendon medical and fitness staff.

""Although he is anything but a high-profile player, I think he is one of the great AFL stories this year,"" Essendon assistant coach Robert Shaw said. ""The medicos (not from this club) said he would never play again, and in the words of Mark Williams ‘you were wrong.'""

""His form in the VFL side thus far hasn’t been anything to write home about so we aren’t putting any great expectations on him. But he is very competitive and there is a train of thought that he might perform better with better players around him. He is a big unit and they will know he is out there.

""I think the timing is pretty right and he will give everyone around him some real enthusiasm. Now is as good a time as any to find out about him at the top level. All is not lost this season but we will keep looking at these young players and building for the future.""