DUAL Essendon premiership player Paul Salmon says the Bombers will be knocking on the door of the top eight this year. click here

But the seven-time club leading goalscorer says the best platform for playing finals footy is a strong start to the season.

“They need to win three out of their first six games. That’s going to be very important for the Bombers,” Salmon says.

Salmon says the club’s slide down the ladder in recent seasons was part of the cyclical nature of football.

“Essendon were paying the price for being a good team for a long period of time, not only just winning a premiership but finishing high up on the ladder and getting low draft picks.”

The Bombers picked up plenty of talent in last year’s AFL NAB National Draft and Salmon says it is not just the young recruits who will impress this year

“There are some exciting young players being put into the team – really quick, a bit of flair. “I’m also looking forward to Mal Michael’s contribution. Dustin Fletcher will enjoy that. The important thing is it will also free Adam McPhee up to some degree.”

The Essendon midfield has been under constant pressure in recent years but Salmon believes a lack of depth within the club, not the individual players, has been at the root of the problem.

“You cannot criticise Jason Johnson or Mark Johnson or Damien Peverill. These guys put their heart and soul every week into playing their best footy.,” Salmon said.

“It’s more levelled at the support they had. They lacked quality midfield numbers to rotate through there.”

And Salmon suggests it’s the development of the 30-50 game players that remains the key to providing the support needed through the middle

“It’s a big X factor this year if the (Jason) Winderlichs and the (Ricky) Dysons and the (Brent) Stantons continue to develop then that’s going to be such a critical part to how far Essendon go.”

The fitness of Adam McPhee will be critical to the Bombers’ performance this season, with Salmon pinning high hopes on the dashing back-flanker

“If McPhee can replicate his first year at Essendon, then that’s almost another position on the ladder as far as I’m concerned.”

Looking ahead to the Bombers round-one clash against Adelaide on Sunday, Salmon gives his former team a big chance winning.

“I really see this game as symbolic,” he says. “I know its putting a lot of emphasis on round one, which you don’t want to do because you want to let the season settle, but if I could be bold enough to suggest that if they win this game it is an incredibly important platform for the season.”

Bombers fans approach the season full of expectations and the while the Big Fish is enthusiastic about the year ahead, he says 2007 is more about the attitude of the players than the team’s position on the ladder.

“If they don’t make the eight, I just think for the Bombers supporters it’s the manner in which they play their footy,” he says. “If they finish 12th but play some exciting footy and play some games which show us signs that in 2008 they’ll be a genuine contender for the eight then we can cop it as supporters and past players.”

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