ESSENDON is prepared to be patient with the rehabilitation of new signing Brent Prismall, according to coach Matthew Knights.
Prismall, who played just 25 games in four season with the Cats was on the verge of becoming a regular member of the Geelong side before sustaining a serious knee injury in this year’s qualifying final against St Kilda.
Knights said the fact that the 22-year-old will miss the start of next season did not deter the club from giving up their third round pick in November's national draft - pick 39 overall - in exchange for Prismall.
"We will work with Brent closely and be patient with him," Knights said.
"It's about his well-being and if he is ready for round four great, if he is ready in Round 6 great and if he is not ready until Round 12 then so be it."
"It will be all about what is best for Brent Prismall."
Knights was also delighted to have kept speedster Andrew Lovett, who had been linked with a move to Geelong after twice being dropped for disciplinary reasons by the Bombers in 2008.
"We were happy to work with clubs to try and do a deal with Andrew but now the deal hasn't been done it's a good opportunity for Andrew to come back and play really good footy and I'm sure he is going to be keen to do that,” he said.
Knights said the past few weeks will have been a reality check for Lovett.
"He has gone through this experience which is never healthy when you are not sure where your future is at but we have got to support him through that and as a coach I will sit down and work with Andrew."
"I'm not sure if it is the wake-up call that he needs but maybe the last few weeks have been an education for him going through this process."
"Andrew has got a pretty good understanding of what he needs to do but his football talents and his ability to play is unquestioned and what Andrew and I have got to work through is making sure his dedication is in check and if he does that I'm sure he will be a good player for us next year."
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ESSENDON ruckman David Hille has capped off a career-best year by winning the club’s best-and-fairest award at Crown Palladium on Wednesday night.
Hille claimed his first Crichton Medal with 256 votes, well-clear of skipper Matthew Lloyd (216) with midfielder Brent Stanton (188) third.
The 27-year-old polled in 14 of his 20 games this season before a hand injury brought his season to a premature end.
2008 Crichton Medal voting:
David Hille - 256
Matthew Lloyd - 216
Brent Stanton - 188
Jobe Watson - 178
Mark McVeigh - 144
Angus Monfries - 140
Patrick Ryder - 138
Andrew Welsh - 134
Dustin Fletcher - 133
Henry Slattery - 133
Sam Lonergan - 121
Nathan Lovett-Murray - 117
Kyle Reimers - 104
Andrew Lovett - 98
Adam McPhee - 96
Damien Peverill - 67
Bachar Houli - 60
Jason Winderlich - 41
Jay Nash - 39
Ricky Dyson - 38
Adam Ramanauskas - 36
Alwyn Davey - 34
Jason Johnson - 31
David Myers - 31
Courtenay Dempsey - 29
Mal Michael - 24
Leroy Jetta - 22
Tom Hislop - 19
Scott Lucas - 18
Tom Bellchambers - 13
Heath Hocking - 11
Rhys Magin - 4
Jay Neagle - 3
Other award winners:
Bill Hutchison Award - Nathan Lovett-Murray
Lindsay Griffith's Rising Star Award - Kyle Reimers
Most Courageous - Henry Slattery
Striving for Excellence - Angus Monfries
Most Improved - Sam Lonergan
Leading Goalkicker - Matthew Lloyd
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September 18th 2008 06:47
ESSENDON speedstar Alywn Davey has signed a new two-year deal which will see him remain at the club until at least the end of the 2010 season.
The 24-year-old was taken by the Bombers in the third round of the 2006 national draft but has been restricted to 19 matches in two seasons due to injuries.
Essendon team manager David Calthorpe said Davey will play an important role when he returns from a serious knee injury.
"He may have been forgotten in some respects because of the development that we have seen from our younger guys this year but he will certainly make an impact when he returns," Calthorpe said.
“He is a significant re-signing and should take some pressure off our small developing forwards next season.”
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September 17th 2008 05:33
COLLINGWOOD development manager Alan Richardson has joined Essendon as an assistant coach.
Richardson, who will start in his new role next month, said the opportunity to get back into coaching was very attractive.
"I have always had massive respect for Essendon with the success they have had and the success they demand," Richardson said.
"I believe the Essendon group is going in the right direction and I want to play a role assisting Matthew Knights and the other coaches in further developing the list."
"Having achieved what I set out to achieve at Collingwood with setting up their academy, now is a good time for a change and I am very excited by this new opportunity."
Essendon chief operating officer Travis Auld said Richardson will be a valuable addition to the club.
"Alan has built up a considerable reputation for his work with young footballers through his time at Collingwood and the Western Bulldogs," Auld said.
"Whilst Alan will have the normal responsibilities of an assistant coach, he will also be of great assistance to Ashley Prescott and Adrian Hickmott in further consolidating our player development program.
The appointment of Richardson follows Tuesday’s announcement that Adelaide assistant coach Paul Hamilton will join Essendon in the new position of football operations manager.
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ESSENDON premiership players Adam Ramanauskas and Jason Johnson will both play their last matches this weekend against St Kilda at Telstra Dome after announcing their retirement from AFL football.
Ramanauskas made his debut in 1999 and has played 133 games for the Bombers. He made an emotional return to senior football last year after recovering from two bouts of cancer
Johnson, a two-time best and fairest winner at the club will play his 184th match this weekend after making his debut in 1997.
The 30-year-old has struggled with form and injury recently and has managed just 13 matches in the past two seasons.
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ESSENDON has strengthened its financial position with the signing of electronics giant Samsung and Adidas as the club's major and apparel sponsors respectively.
The three-year deal with Samsung is believed to be the most lucrative sponsorship agreement in AFL history
Samsung will replace telecommunications company 3, which has been the Bombers' major sponsor since 2003, from next year while Adidas will replace Puma from November.
In further good news for the Bombers, Bachar Houli, Sam Lonergan, Kyle Reimers and Angus Monfries have all committed to the club until the end of the 2010 season.
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ESSENDON coach Matthew Knights has dimissed suggestions that midfielder Andrew Lovett has been told that he won't be playing at the club next season.
It was reported late on Friday that the Bombers had already made a decision to trade Lovett at the end of the season but Knights said these reports were incorrect.
"Andrew is a contracted player so basically there is no definitive decisions made whatsoever to a player that is under contract," Knights said.
"I have spoken to Andrew about how the year has gone and also where we are heading as a club, but discussions about the future are between Andrew and myself," Knights said.
"I am not sure it is fair on any of our players to discuss futures in public and in the media. Andrew has got a contract and we will deal with whatever is on the horizon when the time comes."
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ESSENDON has confirmed that veteran midfielder Damien Peverill will not be offered a new contract beyond 2008.
Peverill, who has played 144 games for the Bombers since making his debut in 2001, believes he is still capable of playing AFL football.
"I will weigh up my options but I would like to think I can still play AFL football. My recent form has been solid and my body is in good shape," Peverill said in a statement.
Essendon coach Matthew Knights said a compromised draft as a result of Gold Coast's planned introduction into the competition in 2011 had forced him into ending Peverill's career at the club.
"These decisions are very difficult but we have set a direction that we want to take as club," Knights said.
"It is important that we inject as much youth as possible into the club at the moment, particularly given the draft implications beyond this season and unfortunately that means making some hard calls and Damien was one of those."
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ESSENDON midfielder Damien Peverill looks to be on the way out with media reports suggesting that the in-form 29-year-old has been told that he is no longer a required player.
The Nine Network reported on Thursday night that the Bombers had informed Peverill ,who has been averaging 25 possessions a game in his past six matches, this week and that he is likely to forced to announce his retirement some time next week.
The club's decision comes a week after full-back Mal Michael called it quits, forward Courtney Johns was given his marching orders and just a fortnight before fellow midfielder Jason Johnson's career is due to come to an end.
The 142-game veteran is believed to be hopeful of continuing his AFL career at another club.
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ESSENDON will only have 24 fit men to choose from for its Friday night clash against the Western Bulldogs at Telstra Dome.
Bombers coach Matthew Knights confirmed on Tuesday morning that his playing stocks had been further decimated with veteran defender Dustin Fletcher (groin), ruckman David Hille (hand), Jason Laycock (ankle) and Courtenay Dempsey (leg) all joining the club's injury list.
"It's just the way it is obviously with David Hille having an operation on his hand to be repaired, Dustin definitely won't play with his groin (injury)," Knights said.
"Courtenay Dempsey with a cracked fibula, which obviously is gonna need repair and he'll be (needing) a good six to 10 weeks with his (rehabilitation) program and Jason Laycock also we've found that he's had some floating bone in his ankle for a little while now."
Dempsey, who has suffered numerous hamstring injuries since being drafted in 2005 and stress fractures in his leg earlier this season on top of his recently broken leg, will have played 10 out of a possible 66 matches by the time this season ends.
But Knights said he was still hopeful that the 20-year-old would get his body right and have a successful career.
"There's been, through history, a lot of guys (who have) had trouble early in their career with injuries then gone on to play eight or 10 straight years," he said.
Laycock has been playing with an ankle complaint but Knights said there no were no exucses for the 23-year-old's poor form.
"It (the ankle injury) hasn't been preventing him playing or, I think, covering the ground," he said.
"I think Jason is big enough to say his formline is his formline, there's no excuse in regards to injury."
With Hille and Laycock on the sidelines the Bombers have been forced to thrust 18-year-old big man Tom Bellchambers into the No.1 rucking role.
In some good news for Essendon, veteran Jason Johnson is set to play his first game since round two in what will be one of the last matches of his 12-year career.
Johnson was sidelined for three months with a calf injury before making his return in the VFL a fortnight ago.
The Bombers are also expected to be bolstered by the return of midfielder Mark McVeigh who has been sidelined since undergoing knee surgery five weeks ago while key forward Scott Lucas is extremely unlikely to take on the Bulldogs.
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