THE IMPENDING departure of Jake Carlisle at Essendon has paved the way for James Gwilt to be re-signed by the club for another season.
Gwilt, who played 11 games for the Bombers in his first season at the club, has agreed to a new one-year deal to play on in 2016 with Essendon.
The Bombers are set to lose Carlisle, who last week requested to be traded by the club, and Gwilt offers some experience and back-up to their key defensive stocks.
Stand-in coach Matthew Egan said the 29-year-old had a valuable role to play for the club.
"James has become an important member of the Bombers defence this season and has built great relationships with both Michael Hurley as well as Cale Hooker while playing in the forward line," Egan said.
"James has great flexibility having showcased his ability to play on both small and tall forwards and knowing what he is capable of has us really looking forward to his future next year."
Gwilt joined the club last year as a free agent having been delisted by St Kilda after 126 games in their defence. He said he had settled into Essendon seamlessly.
"We're a really tight defensive unit and that’s been a big factor behind why I’ve enjoyed my football this season," he said.
"There are plenty of talented young guys coming through, we’ve proven we can compete with the best and I'm excited to get back out there after pre-season in 2016."
The Bombers still have a number of unsigned players leading into next month's trade and free agency period, including senior midfielder Brent Stanton and Jake Melksham, who AFL.com.au reported last week was considering his future with the club.
