Ryley Sanders
The Dogs midfielder had a lacklustre start to life at the AFL level playing 14 games including two as the starting sub and being subbed off three times.
After being the sixth pick in the 2023 national draft many expected Sanders to make an instant impact to a star-studded Dogs midfield, but with Ed Richards making the move into the middle there was limited opportunity for a new midfielder.
One of the reasons Sanders should be tipped for a huge year is his strong VFL form, proving he is way too good for the level below. Sanders across seven games averaged an incredible 32 touches and almost seven tackles a game including a mammoth 39-touch and three-goal performance against the Casey Demons.
Sanders has been a ball magnet throughout his junior career and deserves to show his talent at the AFL level. Luke Beveridge has had a reluctance to play Sanders, but if his VFL form continues to be dominant Beveridge will have no choice but to play him or risk losing him to a club which he can excel.
Archie Roberts
The 54th pick from the 2023 AFL draft shot into the spotlight to end the season last year and will be looking to build upon his form to become a genuine star.
He dropped a huge amount of places on draft night after many had him going in the top 25, and Essendon won’t believe how lucky they are now. Roberts played the last four rounds of 2024 with his best performance being in round 24 against the Brisbane Lions where he had 28 touches and eight marks.
He also uses the ball at an incredibly high rate, with his elite kicking skills and ability to be calm out of the backline a clear highlight of his game.
Roberts should have a large role this year in the Essendon backline taking the role of club legend Dyson Heppell who retired at the end of the 2024 season.
Archie Roberts (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)
While Essendon do have a few accumulators in the backline including Andrew McGrath and Mason Redman with Nic Martin transitioning to a high half forward/wing there should be more touches available for the halfbacks. He has no issue finding the ball at all, and with a more consistent role he should be able to average over 20 touches a game while still using the ball efficiently.
Jake Rogers
Rogers was the 14th pick in the 2023 draft but would have been potentially higher had he not already been tied to the Gold Coast Suns. While Rogers only averaged nine touches a game in his first year he is another, like Sanders, who had a strong run of VFL form to finish the year.
Rogers has genuine game-breaking speed which he uses in his favour to take on opponents and evade in tight situations.
His strongest game at AFL level was clearly round 8 against West Coast where he had 22 touches and a goal including 13 contested possessions. Also similar to Sanders, he has not had the opportunity to break into the senior side with an already strong midfield, but he possesses the quickness that the likes of Matt Rowell and Noah Anderson don’t have.
If Damien Hardwick wants to add a new dimension to his midfield rotation adding the likes of Rogers could allow for a massive breakout year.
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