ESSENDON list manager Adrian Dodoro believes 2020 top ten draft pick Zach Reid could one day make a \u201cpretty good forward,\u201d despite being drafted to the club as a key defender.<\/p>\n
The Bombers had three top-10 draft picks in last year\u2019s draft selected Reid, Archie Perkins and Nik Cox.<\/p>\n
Perkins and Cox played regularly throughout 2021 and showed signs of their talent, while Reid only managed the one game due to injuries and glandular fever.<\/p>\n
However, Essendon\u2019s team is stacked with young talent, and the overall picture is what excites Dodoro most.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you\u2019ve got such a young list, you don\u2019t know what you\u2019ve actually got,\u201d he told Sportsday<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got a lot of young kids that we just want to play and develop.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s the exciting thing about when you\u2019re developing a new team under a young coach who had a terrific first year at the club.\u201d<\/p>\n The veteran list manager also revealed how the club sees their list, admitting they could have used Giants\u2019 livewire Bobby Hill.<\/p>\n Hill requested a trade to the Bombers over the weekend, but the two teams were unable to agree to terms.<\/p>\n \u201cFor us, we\u2019re okay down back,\u201d Dodoro said. \u201cWe\u2019ve got some really solid midfielders, a couple of All-Australians now, we\u2019ve worked really hard to bolster that area.<\/p>\n \u201cOur front half, yeah sure, we would have liked a Bobby Hill to help out, some goalkicking power.<\/p>\n \u201cThat is one area that we would like to probably bolster a little bit, our goalscoring power.\u201d<\/p>\n With the Bombers looking for additional firepower up forward, Reid might be part of the club’s future plans.<\/p>\n The 203-centermeter prospect is being treated as a \u201cnew recruit\u201d in 2021.<\/p>\n \u201cI think he\u2019s still growing, and that was probably one of the reasons why he had that stress fracture in the back this year, which has healed beautifully mind you,\u201d Dodoro said.<\/p>\n \u201cHe debuted against Brisbane in the pouring rain at the Gabba and then we found out he had glandular fever.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, we\u2019re really, really excited about what he can do.<\/p>\n \u201cTruck [Ben Rutten] knows that we\u2019ve drafted him as a key defender, but there\u2019s something in the back of everyone\u2019s mind that he might be a pretty good forward one day.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019ll be a brand-new recruit for us next year.\u201d<\/p>\n The Bombers will take picks 11, 51, 56 and 87 to November\u2019s national draft.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n