Essendon coach Matthew Knights can see glimpses of Bombers' great Michael Long's agility and skill in his nephew Anthony Long, one of the AFL club's new recruits.

While Knights said Essendon chose the lean 187cm 18-year-old in last week's draft purely on talent, not his famous surname, the family connection is evident.

"He's definitely got a nice sidestep, he's got very precise kicking skills," Knights said.

"He weights the ball and he touches the ball, it's not an aggressive kick but he puts the ball where his teammate wants it and he makes his teammates look better.

"... hopefully he can jet across the MCG like his great uncle did many times for the Essendon football club."

Long ignored overtures from Gold Coast, who could have signed him because of his Northern Territory background, preferring to stay in Melbourne, where he is studying, with Essendon the perfect result.

"I was very happy to get to the Bombers, the family were even more happy," he said.

"Everyone was stoked and I guess with the tradition here through my uncle and all my other uncles and family go for the Bombers, it just adds that extra incentive."

He has received advice from his uncle - whose 190 games with Essendon included two premierships and whose stand against racism helped lead to the formulation of the AFL's racial vilification policy.

But he also wants to emulate another talented relative, cousin Cyril Rioli, who played every senior game in his first year with Hawthorn, 2008, including a starring role in their grand final win.

"I guess if I can get anywhere in my footy career as well as he's done in these two years, I'll feel that I've succeeded," Long said.

"I definitely look at him as a role model in how I want to play footy."

Knights said the family connection was nice, but did not mean much in practice.

"It's not nice to have if he can't play football," he said.

"Anthony can play the game and we think there's enormous upside in him."

Knights said there was potential for any of the Bombers' draftees to play senior football next year, particularly given the player drain, having lost Matthew Lloyd, Scott Lucas, Andrew Lovett and Adam McPhee.

The club will probably add one or two seasoned players through the pre-season and rookie drafts on December 15.

Meanwhile, they expect to name a captaincy replacement for Lloyd by December 23.

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP