Essendon is set to pursue a trade for uncontracted Blue Will Setterfield, with the Tullamarine team eyeing the ex-Giant as a prime target to bolster their inside midfield fleet.
The Dons' reinvigorated efforts to draw Setterfield from Princes Park have arisen in the wake of their fruitless chase of Suns utility Jack Bowes.
As reported by News Corp, the Bombers have narrowed their sights on the 24-year-old in the hopes that a late selection will be enough to satisfy the Blues at the trade table.
Previous reports from September suggested that Essendon held a desire to see Setterfield don the sash in 2023 in an effort to add size to their stoppage team.
Standing at 192cms and tipping the scales at 99kgs, the former first-round draftee has the request size to influence inside contests, despite failing to see much action at the coalface across the brunt of his time as a Blue.
Setterfield's potential to see senior minutes on a wing under Michael Voss took a dent earlier in the week after Carlton proved successful in their own pursuit of Dockers conduit Blake Acres.
The arrivals of George Hewett from the Swans and Adam Cerra across the Nullarbor last season also acted as sizable dents to the Sandringham Dragons product's engine room prospects.
At present, Essendon is currently armed with picks 4, 22, 42, 62 and 80 in an effort to get a deal done with their long-term arch-rivals.
Since crossing from the Giants ahead of the 2019 season, Setterfield has featured in a Navy Blue guernsey on 34 occasions.