Essendon senior coach Ben Rutten spoke to the media at the NEC Hangar on Thursday ahead of the Bombers' round eight clash with GWS at GIANTS Stadium on Saturday.
Below are the five key takeaways from his media conference.
1. Same-day travel not an issue
Essendon is preparing for 'fly in, fly out' on Saturday travel as Sydney re-introduces coronavirus restrictions following new community cases.
After an air of uncertainty surrounded where the Bombers would face the Giants, the AFL confirmed a 2:10pm start time for the match at GIANTS Stadium.
With the Dons’ plans for a Friday flight to the Harbour City dashed, Rutten said his troops would be ready and the new preparation for the match would be embraced.
“The guys are pretty accepting of it now and it’s part and parcel (of current landscape),” Rutten said.
“We knew coming into the year it was going to be a different-looking year off the back of last year, so there’s pretty little disruption.”
2. Young guns showing no sign of slowing
Essendon’s young brigade is showing limited signs of tiring, despite some first-year players not having played football at all during last year’s coronavirus pandemic.
Questioned on whether a rest was needed for debutants like Nik Cox, Archie Perkins and Harrison Jones, who have played the majority of the season, Rutten said it would be considered if warranted.
"I'm finding it hard to find something that flusters some of these guys. They just love playing AFL footy,” Rutten said.
“They're doing their dream job and they're loving what they're doing.
“There may come a time during the year that we need to look at (resting players), but we'll wait and see."
3. Francis and Phillips set to be available
Defender Aaron Francis and ruckman Andrew Phillips appear certain to put their hand up for selection for Saturday’s clash against the Giants.
Following both players’ respective injuries sustained in the Dons’ Anzac Day win against the Pies, Rutten said Phillips and Francis would certainly warrant consideration at the selection table pending their availability.
“We’ve got a couple of guys we’re waiting on to get through training and we’ll have some more information after training,” Rutten said.
“He’ll (Francis) train today which will be important to be confident in himself, but also give us the confidence that he’ll be available and whether he can play this week.”
4. Merrett’s leadership praised
Following his re-introduction into Essendon’s leadership group in 2021, midfielder Zach Merrett has stamped his authority as someone who commands the respect of the playing group.
Ahead of his 150th AFL game this week, Rutten said Merrett’s ability to show the way for others had been a valuable asset for the Bombers in a year of growth and development.
"He's certainly been a really important and valuable leader for us this year, there's no doubt about that,” Rutten said.
"We've talked about Zach last year, but last year was an important growth period for Zach, and we're seeing a bit of the fruits of that this year.
“He's an incredible player and his influence over more people is becoming really pronounced, so we're enjoying that."
5. Reid recovering at steady rate
Young key defender Zach Reid is making gradual improvements from his glandular fever infection.
The No.10 pick in the 2020 NAB AFL Draft came down with tonsillitis after his debut game in round five against Brisbane, which then progressed to the more serious glandular fever.
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Given the unpredictable nature of glandular fever recovery times, Rutten said the Bombers were being cautious with the 19-year-old's treatment.
“He’s on the improve,” Rutten said.
“We’re expecting him to be back at the club next week.
“Obviously, that’s knocked him around a bit and interfered with his training and his preparation.
“As long as he keeps progressing in the right direction, we’ll see him back at the club soon.”
