Jayden Nguyen is officially an Essendon player.
The Calder Cannon, who was a Next Generation Academy player with the Bombers, was picked at B-category rookie.
The Bombers, who nominated Nguyen before the draft, had the right to match any bid on him in the draft and if he wasn’t selected would automatically join the Bombers.
A 178 centimetre defender with the ability to push into the midfield and even hit the scoreboard, Nguyen’s overall athleticism is a standout in his game, possessing elite speed and a big vertical leap.
The 18-year-old recorded top five finishes in the national draft combine for the 20-metre sprint and agility test, as well as both the standing and running vertical jumps, highlighting his dynamic physical attributes.
Nguyen is no stranger to the NEC Hangar, having trained at the facility via the James Hird Academy since his early teenage years with fellow draftee Isaac Kako, where the pair were also teammates at the Calder Cannons.
Averaging 19 disposals per game for Calder in the Coates Talent League and 13 per game with Vic Metro in his three appearances at the National Championships, Nguyen was rewarded late in the season with a VFL debut for the Bombers in the final round.
Nguyen was at training on Friday morning before it became official he was on the list.
Speaking to Star Weekly before the draft, Nguyen said it would be incredible to became a Bomber.
“Essendon have just helped me so much with my footy, I did pre-season at the start of the year.
“It helped me learn how the professional players go about their work, their body of work they’ve put in behind every training session and how they’ve prepared themselves.”
Nguyen was the only player from Melbourne’s north-west that was taken in the rookie or pre-season drafts on Friday.
