ESSENDON coach Matthew Knights saw enough on Friday night to believe that the Western Bulldogs will be a force in this year's finals series.
Speaking after his side lost by 46 points, Knights said the Dogs showed they are over their recent form slump which produced just one win in five games.
"I think you should be wary of the Western Bulldogs," he said. "They played some cracking football early in the year. They did beat Hawthorn in Tasmania and they were sparkling that day.
"Come first final I think they are going to be a very capable football team. They don’t have many injury concerns, which is important for this time of year. Their foot skills are very good ... I wouldn’t be underestimating them if I was playing them in a final."
Knights' injury-ravaged team will not feature in September, but he was impressed by the performances of some of his younger players, particularly second-game ruckman Tom Bellchambers.
"Tom’s leaping at the centre bounce was a real bonus for us," he said. "He showed he’s got some real spring.
"His composure with his disposal was good. He got caught up a couple of times with a bit of handball in the middle of the ground, which didn’t suit him, but I thought he showed some signs as a ruckman tonight."
Standing 201cm and weighing 100kg, 19-year-old Bellchambers is unlike the stringbean ruckman that tends to be drafted to AFL lists.
"Physically, he is pretty well endowed for a ruckman," Knights said.
"Sometimes it takes three or four years to put size on a ruckman, but he’s got the size, so we’re going to work on his game learning and if we can do that he’s going to be a good player for us in time."
Knights reserved special praise for outgoing Essendon veterans Jason Johnson and Damien Peverill, who were their side’s best players in the early stages of the game.
"I’ve been dealing with both boys and they have amazing character to do what they’ve done for the last 12 weeks," Knights said.
"It’s good for Rhys Magin, Cale Hooker and Tom Bellchambers to know how revered Jason and Pev are. It is going to be a big celebration for us this weekend.
"We celebrate the careers of two wonderful people and we hope to give them a great send-off."
Next Sunday's clash with St Kilda will also be the last for defender Mal Michael, who has played 36 games for Essendon after crossing from the Brisbane Lions at the end of 2006.
The club's commitment to its future also continued with the announcement of two-year deals for Angus Monfries, Sam Lonergan, Kylie Reimers and Bachar Houli.
"Each of these players have taken a significant leap forward in their game this year and I am confident they will play key roles next year and beyond," Knights said in an earlier statement.