Essendon plan to head to Wangaratta for an AFL pre-season game next year and will help pay the Victorian regional city’s costs for this year’s no-show.

Several Bombers players will also visit the city next week, as the club seek to make amends for failing to turn up for a scheduled match against St Kilda in early March.

While the Saints arrived in the city by bus a day in advance, the Bombers tried to fly there on the day of the game, but were unable to land in the region, which had been hit by severe weather.

The AFL confirmed on Friday they had locked in a Wangaratta match for next year’s pre-season.

While the competing clubs were yet to be finalised, the Bombers want to be one of them.

Essendon and the AFL will also pay the expenses incurred for this year’s cancelled match, such as venue preparation and catering.

Bombers chief executive Ian Robson said his club were also looking at what else they could do for Wangaratta.

AAP