How Essendon’s Tom Edwards used his year on the sidelines due to torn ACL to work on his ‘biggest weakness’

Essendon’s Tom Edwards spent most of his first AFL season on the sidelines due to a torn ACL, but the WA product is confident a year focused on gym work will make him a better player in the long run.

After several years of strong form in the WAFL, Edwards was signed out of Swan Districts by the Bombers in last year’s supplemental selection period and justified his ascent by kicking three goals on debut against Adelaide.

But after only one more game at the top level, he suffered a knee injury at a training session which sidelined him for the remainder of the season.

The 25-year-old has now overcome the injury and returned to the senior side for the first time in just over a year on Sunday night, kicking two goals in a 34-point loss to Western Bulldogs.

Edwards, who was raised in Albany, told The West Australian he had done his best to get over the “extremely disappointing” setback as fast as he could.

“It happened pretty quickly, I got the opportunity to play AFL footy and then it all got shut down pretty quick,” he said.

“I haven’t had that exposure in the gym and been able to work on my body and my physical capabilities, which is probably my biggest weakness. I tried to take all the positives out of that.

“It was a good opportunity to build some good connections at the club, working pretty closely with the physios and the rehab team, and unfortunately, we had quite a few players in there, which created some good bonds.”

Despite the injury ruling him out of the remainder of his initial one-year contract with the club, Essendon promptly re-signed the crafty forward through until the end of the 2026 season.

Edwards said he was “very grateful” to have doubts over his future quickly put to bed and was desperate to justify the club’s belief in him.

“My manager worked with the club and sorted things out really quickly, which took a bit of stress off,” he said.

“For sure, it crosses your mind. I’d just moved over, played two games, and then done my knee, so it was like, ‘am I just going to be shipped back to Perth’.

“For them to come forward straight away and give me that security helped build the drive to repay the faith and hopefully put some good footy together.”

Before being picked up by the Bombers, Edwards was a regular presence on the WAFL’s highlight reel, winning the league’s mark of the year award in both 2022 and 2024.

He is bullish is high-flying days are not behind him, despite now carrying a surgically-repaired knee.

“I took a little small one in the VFL last week, so it’s nice to be reminded that I can still do it,” Edwards said.

“I had to jump into the hanger bag a few times before I played, just to make sure I could cope with landing, now that the knee’s copped it a bit.”