Leeton footballer Jacob Townsend will extend his AFL career next season at Essendon.
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The Bombers announced the signing of Townsend on Wednesday night, as part of the AFL's pre-season supplemental selection period.
It is a dream come true for Townsend, who grew up as an Essendon supporter as a kid.
The 26-year-old arrives at Essendon after being delisted by Richmond after four seasons at the Tigers.
Essendon's general manager of list and recruiting Adrian Dodoro believes Townsend brings a lot to the table at the Bombers.
"Jacob will provide us with a really hard edge. He is a player that is really combative, and we felt that we needed these attributes in our line-up," Dodoro told the Essendon website.
"Jacob has the ability to apply pressure in our forward line, but we are also confident that he can play inside as a big-bodied midfielder.
"The focus for us was to find experienced players during this period and we believe Jacob can play a great role and have an instant impact at the club."
A couple of clubs circled Townsend after he was delisted by the Tigers but in the end it was the Bombers who showed most interest.
Essendon will be Townsend's third AFL home after starting out as an inaugural Greater Western Sydney (GWS) player in 2012.
He joins the club with 48 AFL games under his belt. He played 28 at GWS from 2012 to 2015 and then 20 at the Tigers over the past four years.
It was at Richmond where Townsend enjoyed his finest moment, playing in the Tigers' 2017 AFL premiership.
He kicked 16 goals in his five AFL appearances in 2017 and also won the JJ Liston Trophy for the best and fairest player in the VFL in the same year.
Townsend began training with the Bombers on Thursday.
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