Essendon senior coach Ben Rutten spoke to the media on Thursday ahead of the Bombers' 2021 season opener and his first official game at the helm.
Below are the five key takeaways from his media conference.
1. Five Dons to make debut
Rutten revealed five club debutants would appear in Saturday night’s clash against the Hawks.
That will include Dons' three trade acquisitions, a second-year key tall and the club's first pick of the 2020 NAB AFL Draft.
“We’ll have five new players to represent the footy club for the first time,” Rutten said.
“Peter Wright, Nick Hind and Jye Caldwell, who we got through the trade, and Harrison Jones and Nik Cox will make their debuts.”
2. Stringer to play VFL minutes
Star forward Jake Stringer will make a significant leap in his recovery from a foot injury when he takes to the field for the Bombers’ VFL practice match against Box Hill on Saturday.
Rutten confirmed the 26-year-old would play limited game time to ready himself for a return to AFL level in the near future.
"He'll play a bit this week in the VFL, so we'll get some minutes in then and we'll just see how he pulls up and take it from there," Rutten said.
3. Truck’s OK with the medical sub rule
The AFL’s newly announced medical substitute rule has divided opinions across the AFL landscape, but has received a warm reception from Essendon’s senior coach.
The rule, which allows teams to activate a nominated player (23rd man) to replace a player deemed ‘medically unfit’ during a match, has the support of Rutten, who said it was in the best interests of player welfare.
“I think (with) the rule in general, anything which is going to look after player welfare and keep our best players out on the ground more, I’m certainly supportive of it.”
Clubs will name a 'normal' squad of 22 players and four emergencies the evening before the game, but they won't have to name the 23rd 'medical substitute' player until final teams are confirmed an hour before the first bounce.
4. Heppell a lock for half-back
One of the big changes for Essendon’s best 22 in 2021 has been the switch of club captain Dyson Heppell from an inside midfield role to featuring across half-back.
Given his early career games spawned off playing in a similar role, Rutten said Essendon’s skipper could contribute strongly across the defensive line as he returns from a foot injury that has hampered his past two seasons.
"I think it was a great opportunity for Dyson to go back there, he's played a lot of footy back there in his early years,” he said.
“He'll provide a lot of experience and a bit of calmness back there for our defensive unit.”
5. Excited to play in front of the red and black faithful
One of the most important facets of Saturday night’s fixture will be the significance of the Bombers playing in front of their loyal fans in Melbourne again.
Rutten said he couldn't wait to play in front of the red and black army in Victoria for the first time since 2019.
“I’m certainly looking forward to being back at home in front of our fans and supporters,” he said.
“(It’s good) to be back in Melbourne again and having fans being allowed back into the game will be fantastic.”
