Injury ravaged Essendon plunged on key forwards and a ruckman in the mid-season rookie draft, taking the son of Dermott Brereton’s partner as well as Carlton’s VFL captain, who was once drafted to Collingwood, among their haul of tall reinforcements. With 10 players 190 centimetres or above on their injury list, the Bombers needed urgent back-up to get through the season, so they took 198cm tall forward Archer May with their first pick. May’s mother, Julie, is the long-term partner of Brereton, who through his storied career with Hawthorn was the long-term tormentor of their arch-rivals, the Bombers.

Archer May has landed at Essendon, a club his mother’s partner, Hawthorn great Dermott Brereton (inset), long tormented in the 1980s. Credit: X / Getty The Bombers also took ready-to-play 203 cm tall ruckman Lachlan Blakiston, who has been playing for East Fremantle in the WAFL with their second pick. They took medium forward Oskar Smartt from their VFL program and, with their last pick, selected Liam McMahon, who is co-captain of Carlton’s VFL team.

He has kicked 24 goals for the Blues in the VFL this season. McMahon was taken by Collingwood with pick 31 in the 2020 national draft and lasted two years on the Magpies’ list. Given the injuries the Bombers are carrying, he could even now find himself playing against the Blues as soon as next round.