Essendon has regressed this year from their 2021 season which saw the Bombers earn a finals berth, with pressure mounting on second-year senior coach Ben Rutten.
However, amid the doom and gloom of their 2022 campaign, the Dons boast a young and promising list as three youngsters, supplemental selection period recruit Nic Martin, first-round draftee Ben Hobbs and mid-season draftee Massimo D'Ambrosio, achieved Rising Star nominations through 16 rounds.
Over the course of last year's trade and free agency period, Essendon acquired the services of unrestricted free agent defender Jake Kelly from the Crows.
Taking into account Essendon's recent activity during the trade and free agency period and the likelihood of them being key players again this year, we've named five potential targets for the Bombers to consider.
3. Blake Acres
The Bombers would surely be tempted by an established wingman in the form of Fremantle's Blake Acres, who has had somewhat of a breakout season for the Dockers in 2022 before succumbing to injury.
Acres is no stranger to playing in Victoria, having previously played for St Kilda before making the move to Fremantle at the end of 2019.
It is hard to see Acres, a non-free-agent, wanting out of Fremantle, considering how settled he was on the opposite wing to James Aish before his hamstring injury.
But with Fremantle piecing together a monster sum to lure Demon Luke Jackson west, some off-contract Dockers may feel the pinch of a salary squeeze.
