If Bomber fans were down at Princes Park today watching the team compete in the 3.2km time trial, some might have asked who was the player that recorded the fastest time in the first lap. Who was the young player that had the audacity to beat skipper James Hird across the finishing line? The answer is rookie Scott Howard. The former Calder Cannons player ran a personal best time of 11.02 minutes and is only hoping to further improve on his speed during the pre-season.

Howard played 17 VFL games for the Bombers in 2002 mainly on the wing and across half-back. A shoulder injury stopped him from playing the first three games of the season. The 19-year-old has recently re-signed with the Bombers for another year on the rookie list. ""I had the choice to nominate for the draft or have another year on the rookie list at Essendon. I didn't want to go through the draft again and I am really happy at Essendon and didn't want to move. It is good inspiration to see what some of the rookies at Essendon have gone on and done - like Mark Johnson and Dean Rioli,"" Howard said.

Essendon fans can look forward to seeing more of Scott Howard in 2003.