Where's the club at?
Having sneaked into the eight this season, Essendon will be aiming to play finals again in 2010, with an assault on the flag in the years immediately following. The youngsters are looking good, with key position players Tayte Pears and Michael Hurley especially promising, but the Bombers have lost 540 games of experience with the retirements of Matthew Lloyd and Scott Lucas. Consolidation of recent gains will be the focus next season, while a relatively injury-free year will be a bonus.

Who they've lost
Bryce Carroll**
Thomas German**
Kade Klemke**
Matthew Lloyd (ret.)
Scott Lucas (ret.)
Rhys Magin**

**rookie listed

What they need

The retirements of Lloyd and Lucas have opened a couple of spots on the forward line, but the club has high hopes for Jay Neagle and Scott Gumbleton, despite the former's aerobic deficiencies and the latter's injury woes. Hurley looms as the wildcard with his ability to play back or forward.

A quick inside midfielder would still be welcome to take some of the load from Jobe Watson's shoulders, although Sam Lonergan and Heath Hocking have shown promise in that inside role. The prospective departure of Andrew Lovett means some genuine pace will be a priority, although Essendon remains one of the quickest sides in the competition.

Essendon is likely to look for mid-sized players rather than talls at the draft table, with a goal-scoring small forward another priority. The Bombers have made a bid for Shaun Burgoyne's services, although the Port Adelaide midfielder has expressed a desire to move to Hawthorn.

Tradeable commodities
Lovett and the club have agreed to part company, with the Bombers determined to strike a good deal in return for the quick midfielder, who is coming off his best season. The Brisbane Lions are said to be particularly keen on Lovett, with both Perth-based teams also in the market.

Midfielder/forward Leroy Jetta has been a major disappointment and may be used as a make-weight in any trade involving Lovett. Running defender Jay Nash is out of favour at Windy Hill and may welcome a return to his home city of Adelaide.

Jason Laycock is perennially talked about at this time of year, but after missing all of 2009 with a foot injury would appear to have very little currency at the trade table.

What the club says
Essendon has declined to comment on trade week or the NAB AFL Draft, citing club policy, although it has confirmed its interest in Burgoyne.

Crystal ball trades
With a shallow draft pool, add-on deals are likely to be the rage during this trade week. Essendon will be looking for a first-round draft pick for Lovett, but may have to settle for a second-round selection plus a player. The Lions' pick 28 plus Michael Rischitelli, for whom Essendon made a strong play a couple of seasons ago, might be a chance.

Jetta may be bundled in with any Bomber efforts to snare an earlier pick, such as West Coast's No.7, but it is unlikely the Eagles or cross-town rivals Fremantle, who have pick four, will be persuaded to part with their first-round selections.

Lovett, Jetta and Nash may all be on the table as part of any bid for the Power's Burgoyne.

Rate your list, the year that was, and more - The Offseason: Essendon

The 2009 AFL exchange period runs from October 5-9. No trades are official until paperwork has been accepted by the AFL and formally recognised after 2pm on Friday, October 9.

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL