A busy off-season has Essendon preparing to make the leap into the top eight after flirting with the chance of playing finals football in 2023.
After falling out of the September race, the Bombers took to the free agency and trade space to improve their list ahead of Brad Scott's second campaign at The Hangar, adding Ben McKay, Jade Gresham, Todd Goldstein and Xavier Duursma while managing to keep their first-round selections for this year and next.
Trading into the top 10 of the draft saw them secure teenager Nate Caddy, who looms as a key piece in the Dons' puzzle moving forward, while some outside run was acquired on night two of the National Draft.
An altered backline, a stacked midfield group and an upside-high forward line will have Bombers fans calling for a top-eight return in 2024, with Scott's first year with the club putting them on the path to do so after treading water in the finals frame throughout this year.
While they soon sunk to 11th, the Bombers did climb four rungs compared to their prior campaign and in the wake of a frantic off-season of off-field change.
With plenty of promise in their current crop of on-field assets, here's how Essendon is likely to take shape in 2024.
BEST 23s: ADELAIDE, BRISBANE, CARLTON, COLLINGWOOD
3. Forwards
Tall pairing Peter Wright and Kyle Langford have each booted 50 goals in a season across the past two years, with 2023 giving Dons fans a close look at their leading target options for the future.
Wright played just 10 games this year due to a shoulder setback on the eve of Round 1, with a full campaign potentially putting him back in best and fairest contention following his Crichton Medal-winning 2022 campaign.
Essendon added key forward Nate Caddy with their opening selection at November's National Draft, with the high-leaping attacker a chance to feature in Round 1 depending on the health of Wright, Langford and Jake Stringer, and the club's ruck plans.
Should a similar structure continue into 2024, one of Goldstein or Draper will likely rest forward, while any absence of Stringer could open the door for Caddy given their similarities.
Dons fans can expect the likes of Archie Perkins, Jade Gresham, Ben Hobbs, Xavier Duursma, Nic Martin, Jye Caldwell and Sam Durham to spend time forward while balancing their midfield duties.
Essendon's small forward brigade will be between Matt Guelfi and Jye Menzie, with the latter flourishing in Guelfi's absence this year to boot 23 goals for the season - the most behind Langford's 51.
Tex Wanganeen and the Davey twins, Alwyn and Jayden, will add to Essendon's depth options in attack.
