Benalla’s Nathan Wright has earned a VFL contract with Essendon for the 2026 season.
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BrucePoveyPhotos.com 2022
When Nathan Wright picked up the phone on Monday morning, he politely asked if he could return the call in an hour or so.
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The Goulburn Valley League’s 2025 leading goal-kicker was about to head upstairs at The Hangar, Essendon Football Club’s training facility, for lunch and a meeting with the club’s AFL list, having just taken to the track for the first day of pre-season training.
After a whirlwind first year with Benalla, in which the big forward booted 64 goals in 17 games, Wright has earned a contract with Essendon’s VFL side for the 2026 season, ticking off the biggest objective he had when moving down from the Sunshine State 12 months ago.
“Bloody oath, I’m super pumped with it,” Wright said.
“My goal coming down from the Gold Coast was to get on a VFL list and put myself in front of AFL eyes, so it’s good.”
The fact that Wright completed the dreaded 2km time trial and the rest of the gruelling session with the Bombers’ first-to-four-year AFL players on Monday was no stroke of luck, either.
Such was his impact at GVL level, there was a wave of VFL clubs chasing his signature for next year, but Wright was chasing an opportunity that would also let people at the highest level catch a glimpse of what he has to offer.
“I was in talks with my ex-manager and just a couple of people that are connected through the clubs,” Wright said.
“I was talking to a couple of different clubs, a couple of VFL clubs, and then had a couple of meetings, and when I checked out The Hangar at Essendon and spoke to them, they offered me (the chance) to do the pre-season with the AFL side.
“That's what I was looking for and that got the edge over the other VFL clubs, just because I want to get myself in front of the right people and just show what I've got and showcase (myself).”
There’s plenty to see with Wright, too.
Comfortably the best recruit of the 2025 GVL season, Wright monstered defences across the league, with bags of nine against Mooroopna and a pair of eights against Rochester and Tatura earning him an interleague call up and even a taste of VFL football with Northern Bullants.
Nathan Wright had a taste of VFL football this year, too, making his debut in a one-off game for Northern Bullants.
In his one game with the side, now known as Preston Football Club after losing its VFL licence, the 22-year-old booted 2.2 from 10 touches in a performance that strengthened his own belief that he belonged at the level.
“That was massive, because it was a last-minute phone call on a Tuesday night, I popped down on Wednesday for training with them and then played (on the Saturday),” he said of the experience.
“I didn't feel out of place or anything like that and, obviously, my dream was to come down here and get a VFL contract.
“Just even that one off game, it definitely reassured me to know that I can push to the next level and try and play at the highest level I can, it was very good.
“I loved every minute of it and, obviously, shoutout to the Bullants for that opportunity to play my first VFL game, I loved it.”
Having made the move down to Melbourne to pursue a career at the higher level, Wright has still recommitted to the Saints, nominating them as his community club if he doesn’t feature at VFL level next season.
While pre-season is yet to start at Benalla, there has been plenty of re-signings and almost as many new additions under new coach Nick Pearson, which has led to plenty of excitement around the club, according to Wright.
“It’s massive at the moment,” he said.
“Obviously the new coach (Pearson) has just come down from Queensland as well, from the Gold Coast where I’m from, and he’s been massive for the club so far, the club is only moving forward.
“And all the boys, I've only just moved down to Melbourne about a week ago, but pretty much every day there was a dozen people in the gym, out on the track every single day, just working to get better and just put themselves in front of the coach.
“I think pre-season starts for Benalla in the next week or two … I won't obviously be there as much, but I'll be definitely chatting to all the boys and the coach just to see how everyone's travelling.
“(The Saints will) definitely be much more of a danger to other clubs next year going forward with the additions we have made.
“It's an unreal club, that's why I've re-signed with them. They’ve been massive for me moving down here, changing states and everything, and pretty much, there's been no bad word out of the club.
“Everything's just moving forward, hopefully next season we can just showcase a bit more and win a few more games.”
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