Veteran AFL forward Paul Chapman has warned Essendon’s top-up players the team must come first.
The former Geelong premiership star will captain a team for the first time this Saturday when Essendon open their NAB Challenge campaign against St Kilda in Morwell.
Essendon’s pre-season teams will feature several top-up players as the club awaits the AFL anti-doping tribunal verdict.
The Bombers’ foreign legion all have previous experience at AFL clubs.
While filling in at Essendon is a potential second life in senior football for them, Chapman said they must not think as individuals.
“They know that and we know that (they are playing for a lot) – but not at the expense of what we want to do as a football club,” he said.
“And they know that too.
“Together, we all look better.”
Chapman said while they will aim to beat the Saints, they will have to scale back the complexity of their game plan.
“Obviously it’s tougher,” he said.
“We have our basic game plan and that’s what everybody knows and that’s what we’re going to try to implement.
“Probably playing heaps of tricks and stuff like that, that we’ve been working on, we won’t be doing that.
“We just want to get the basics (right) first.
“Hopefully if we do it well in the first week … we can progress it and go a little bit further.”
Chapman added it is an honour to lead the Bombers.
“It (their situation) is new, but we’re all very excited and it’s a great opportunity for the young guys,” he said.
“It will probably be different, but if we can play as well as what
“We want to win every game.”
He said the top-up players had fitted in well and will know exactly what is required of them against St Kilda.
Chapman also admitted he would not normally play in the first game of the pre-season.
Meanwhile, he said Kevin Sheedy’s impending return to the Bombers is great news.
Sheedy is set to take an ambassadorial role at the club.
“It’s only a great thing, isn’t it – Kevin Sheedy, four-time premiership coach,” Chapman said.
“It will be a good thing for this football club.”
