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The dynamic duo driving the future of the Bombers
Jaiden Sciberras • July 7th, 2025 7:32 pm
Despite an injury-riddled season, Essendon fans may have borne witness to what could be a major turning point in the club’s recent history.
The luckless Bombers have missed out on September football once again, following a glut of walk-up starters falling to injury over the course of 2025, however the hand the club was forced to play may prove extremely beneficial within the mid to long term.
As has been well documented, Essendon have fielded a record number of debutants, with 11 fresh faces donning the sash across the year including two mid-season recruits and seven players aged 20 or younger.
Within that crop, the Bombers faithful were handed a preview of the club's future, fielding the equal youngest squad in the AFL and continuing to compete on a weekly basis – most recently entering the final term just three points behind the Gold Coast Suns before a dominant final term in Round 17.
With the likes of debutants Angus Clarke and Zak Johnson easing into highly important roles, Archie Roberts and Sam Durham being as consistent as any and Nic Martin and Zach Merrett continuing to lead from the front, the talent at the Bombers is at a level unsighted over past years.
That being said, two young stars have caught the eye of former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley.
Dynamic duo and best mates Nate Caddy and Isaac Kako have revolutionised Essendon’s forward half presence, and at just 19 years of age, the pair are only just getting started.
Combining for 29 disposals, eight marks, six tackles and four goals against the Suns, Buckley believes that the two emerging talents have the keys to drive the future of the football club.
“Caddy and Kako, those picks… have a look at what it’s done for the team,” Buckley told *SEN’s Whateley.
“There’s a verve around the club. Essendon have been one of those clubs that have been stuck in no man’s land, but I’d argue that you can see what they are trying to do there, and despite an injury list that they’ve had…
“I think I said about a month ago, who are Essendon? What do they stand for where are they going to go. Have a look at those two young men that have so lightly raced in terms of their football journeys but quite obviously engaged - we were talking about the chip earlier - they may well have it.
“If you recruited enough players that have got a drive to find out how good they can be, the team absolutely has to go in the direction that you want them to go, which is up.
“Caddy is exceptional. I’d put him next to (Sam) Darcy and (Logan) Morris, and probably in that order. I’d put him there as one of the most attractive forward targets, in the way that he moves, the way he competes, he’s got aerial, he’s got some depth and some tricks down at ground level as well.
“Kako… small forwards, they grow on trees, but you need ones that have got a standout attribute. His third, fourth, fifth efforts, he has got really good short speed, he has got attributes to become a centre bounce player down the track.
“What Nick Watson is doing, (Kako) probably doesn’t have the hurt factor in the aerial sense that a Nick Watson has at the moment, but he could be an in and under player through the midfield.
“Like what Shaun Mannagh is doing at the moment, I could see Kako developing into that and with a slightly different plan, he can go up and be a stoppage player who hurts out of stoppage and becomes a front half animal who is going to tackle, harass and then hit the scoreboard.”
In his debut season, Kako has averaged 11 disposals and two tackles a game, with nine goals playing as a small, high pressure forward.
In Round 17, Kako was rewarded with the Rising Star nomination, collecting 17 disposals, seven score involvements, five tackles and a goal in what was by far his best performance within his short AFL career.
Nate Caddy’s second season has elevated the key forward into serious conversations, averaging 11 disposals and four marks with 18 goals across the year.
Managing just six wins from 15 games thus far, the Bombers sit a game out of the bottom four – a decent return considering their treacherous run with injuries.
Behind their young guns, Essendon are set to face off against another young core in Richmond at the MCG this Saturday night.
