There are still places in the Essendon side for the veteran players in 2010 according to coach Matthew Knights.
 
Knights believes a successful football club has a balance of youth and experience.

Speaking to the media this morning, he said that the futures of Scott Lucas, Matthew Lloyd and Dustin Fletcher- the three 30-plus year-old players on the Essendon list- would not be discussed until the season was over.

“I am going to sit down with the three veterans at the end of the season and we will discuss where they are individually at,” he said.

“We made a decision that we wouldn’t discuss their playing futures during the season to ensure it didn’t interrupt us. We won’t have those discussions untill the season is over regardless of injuries and performance.

“Experience and youth in a side is a clever balancing act. I’ve said right from the start that it is about our next premiership and giving the younger guys an opportunity. Getting that balance right is the recipe for success.

“The disappointing part about this year is that Neagle and Gumbleton haven’t been able to play next to Lloyd and Lucas. As I said earlier in the year I would have really liked that to happen.

“I will continue to push the emergence of youth if they deserve it but that is not to say that experience doesn’t play a very important role in your team as well.”
 
 
Knights said the three champion veterans have earned the right to make their own decision about their impending futures in football.

“I will sit down with those guys once the season is done and dusted and have a bit of a one-on-one with them,” he said.

“They are all really professional and mature guys, we’ll leave it to that point in time and see how they are going.

“Most importantly those guys will have a big say, even virtually all the say in what they want to do- I think they deserve that right after being champions for Essendon.

“They will play the big part in making that decision to play on or not, pending on how they are feeling, how their bodies are going and whether they feel they can still make an impact on the team.”
 
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