Essendon has announced the appointment of Blake Caracella as the club's new VFL senior coach.
Caracella, an AFL industry veteran, has served as a Bombers assistant for the past four seasons, with an emphasis on strengthening Essendon's backline.
The seasoned assistant played 126 games with the Bombers and has also coached under Damien Hardwick at Richmond.
Caracella expressed his excitement at taking on this new challenge and getting to work on developing Essendon's playing group.
"I am excited about this challenge and opportunity to coach the VFL team," Caracella said as part of a Friday afternoon club statement.
"Together with fellow coaches, we will create an environment in which our players can enjoy themselves, develop and reach their potential together."
New Essendon General Manager of AFL Daniel McPherson offered his thoughts on Caracella's appointment.
"Our VFL program plays a vital role in the development of our players and prepares them for AFL-level football," McPherson said on Friday.
"To have someone of Blake's calibre and experience leading this program is extremely beneficial. His extensive experience at the elite level will ensure he sets the standards and expectations for our players to get the most out of themselves and the programs.
"Importantly, Blake will continue to work closely with Brad and the AFL coaching staff to ensure continued alignment between both programs.
"Blake and Matt (Rosa; Essendon's recently appointed AFL Talent & Operations Manager) will work closely with our Head of Development Cam Roberts, to build a program that not only accelerates the development of our AFL-listed players but also attracts strong talent who have the drive to become the best players they can."
The Bombers also welcomed Jona Segal to the Hangar on Friday as a Performance Coach. According to Essendon, Segal will work within the high-performance team and will oversee the AFL program's dietician services, as well as assist the strength and conditioning team.
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The Bombers are preparing to embark on this year's National Draft, which commences on November 20 and continues into the evening of November 21.