I BELIEVE ETHAN DREVER WILL BE ESSENDON’S PICK 1 in the open draft! 👀❤️🖤 I’m calling it now. Ethan Drever to the Bombers! 188cm. Powerful. Tough. Clean. Explosive. Can win it inside, burst from congestion and then take the game on. And that speed is real. Drever ran a 2.905-second 20m sprint at the Draft Combine, showing exactly the sort of burst you want in a modern midfielder! 🚀 He also fits beautifully with the direction Mark McVeigh is bringing to Essendon. Speed. Attack. Flair. Aggression. Moving the ball forward. Drever has the tools to play exactly that way. Pick 1. Ethan Drever. That’s my call. 👊 Biggest off-season in our history. We MUST nail this draft! #godons @essendonfc #ethandrever 👊❤️🖤

Outstanding work by @Jasperc53 interviewing highly rated draft prospect Ethan Drever. A must read for all Bomber fans! 🖤❤️👊 #godons @essendonfc #ethandrever

The Bombers and Richmond will stay in Perth for a week after their Dreamtime game in WA, with both sides set to play an additional game against either the Dockers or the Eagles. As per @XanderMcGuire7 ❤️🖤👊 #godons @essendonfc

Jack Pickett One I reckon is worth a close look for the Bombers! At 193cm, Pickett has serious scoreboard potential, kicking 31 goals in just eight games as a bottom-ager in 2025. He's a strong mark, has good forward craft and knows how to find the goals. What excites me is his upside. There's plenty of development ahead of him, and the thought of what he could become with a few more years of development is exciting. He's had a setback this year with his knee but has worked tirelessly to get back. There's plenty to like about his game and the potential he brings. We need to keep adding quality young talent, particularly players who can make a difference inside 50. Definitely one I'd want Rosa to have a good look at. Could be an exciting prospect for the future. 👊❤️🖤 #Godons #EssendonFC #AFLDraft #jackpickett @essendonfc

What I love about Vigo is the toughness he brings to the contest. He's prepared to put his body on the line, attack the footy. He brings that physical edge you want in a young player and doesn't mind getting stuck into the hard stuff. The exciting part is the potential he has at his age. There's plenty of development ahead of him, and having Mummy coaching him and playing a part in his guidance is another positive. Learning from someone with that experience and a bloke who also has that edge can be invaluable as Vigo continues to develop his craft and understanding of the game. You can't teach that willingness to compete, tackle hard and put pressure on the opposition. That's the foundation you want to build on. He has the willingness to get his hands dirty and do the work which is what he's gonna need to do to make it! Still plenty of work ahead, but there's plenty to like about Vigo and what he could become in the red and black. 👊❤️🖤 #Godons #VigoVisentini #EssendonFC @essendonfc

Gee, unbelievable how easily the South Africans are handling our opening bowlers compared to the last Test. Oh, that’s right. We left out the bloke who tore through them and was our best bowler in that game! 🤦‍♂️ #selectorsincompetent #SAvAUS

🔴⚫ ARKI BUTLER. MAXIMUM DAMAGE. 💥 Arki Butler is a seriously exciting prospect. Elite by foot, great overhead and capable of turning a game on its head in a matter of minutes. He brings the grunt, toughness and a bit of mongrel too. He can do serious damage in a hurry, and that’s exactly the sort of player you want in your side. And the bonus for us Bombers fans? He grew up supporting Essendon. ❤️🖤 For me, it’s down to those two. Arki Butler and Ethan Drever. 👀 #godons #arkibutler @essendonfc

Essendon Versus North Melbourne at Norwood on the Sunday of Gather Round. ❤️🖤👊 #godons @essendonfc

Marc McGowan’s latest article in The Age makes some really interesting comparisons between Ethan Drever and Brisbane star Hugh McCluggage, who came through the same GWV Rebels program. Essendon overlooked McCluggage for Andy McGrath in 2016. Now, with Pick 1 secured for Dougie Cochrane, the Bombers have the chance to land a player with some striking similarities to McCluggage. Rebels talent operations lead Brooke Brown, who worked with both players, said: “I worked with Hugh McCluggage when he was at the Rebels, and I see so many Hugh McCluggage traits [in Drever].” She also described Drever as an “A-plus type of character” who leads by example and by skill. On the field, Drever’s smooth movement and ability to impact games inside and outside the contest have drawn comparisons to GWS star Finn Callaghan. Drever honed in on Callaghan when comparisons started flooding in, but he also closely studied McCluggage, Hawk Will Day and Adelaide captain Jordan Dawson. As he said himself: “I want to be a powerful player,” Drever said. “I love running out the front of the stoppage and being attacking, but I’d also love to be [known as] a two-way runner and really good defensive midfielder.” What stands out is his ability to burst from stoppages, carry the ball forward and impact the game both ways. Drever has openly spoken about wanting to become a powerful attacking player while also being a strong defensive midfielder. That’s exactly the sort of profile Essendon needs alongside Sullivan Robey, Jacob Farrow and Dyson Sharp as we build our next on-ball brigade. And there’s another bonus. Drever comes from a family of passionate Essendon supporters. “My whole family’s excited about that because they’re all Essendon supporters.” For me, Drever ticks so many boxes. The speed, the explosiveness, the contested work and the ability to break games open are exactly what this midfield needs. ❤️🖤 👊 #godons @essendonfc @theage @ByMarcMcGowan theage.com.au/sport/afl/esse…