Essendon senior coach Ben Rutten has lauded the developing "brotherhood" among the Bombers' young brigade, which he says will hold the club in good stead for the future.
With the Bombers adding five talents in the 2020 NAB AFL Draft to complement an already exciting batch of youngsters, Rutten said he was thrilled to see the spirit and mateship that had surfaced in his squad this pre-season.
He said time spent together in the Queensland hub had proven to be the catalyst in the burgeoning group cohesion.
“It’s certainly noticeable for us inside the four walls,” Rutten told The Lunchtime Catch-Up podcast.
“One of the positives of the hub experience and spending so much time in a confined space throughout the season last year is that those group of players got to spend some real quality time together and are almost like brothers now.
“That vibe, that brotherhood and that cohesion the group are starting to form is getting bigger.
“I think that’s something our members and supporters should be excited about because watching them (youngsters) train, you can see them growing in front of your eyes and I think that’s what we’ll see throughout the next few seasons.”
A more senior member of the young brigade who has impressed Rutten with his development and growth is the versatile Kyle Langford.
Langford enjoyed a breakout season in 2020, becoming a damaging player across the wing and forward line to finish fourth in the Crichton Medal.
He was rewarded with a new two-year deal in October, joining fellow youngsters Andrew McGrath and Jordan Ridley who also re-signed in the same week.
Rutten said the 24-year-old was poised to level up in 2021 after returning in prime physical condition.
“We were really pleased with Kyle’s development last year,” Rutten said.
“He put in an enormous amount of work in the off-season and presented himself in great physical condition to attack the season.
“I think the biggest difference in Kyle’s game last year was the acceptance of playing multiple roles and I think that’s where his strength is for us as a footy club.
“We were really thrilled with how he played last year and if the way he’s presented himself this pre-season is an indication, then we should be really hopeful he can take another step for us.”
