Essendon is set to approach the AFL to request priority picks and an assistance package, according to AFL journalist Cal Twomey. Multiple reports from different outlets say the club is expected to make the request as it seeks additional support. The coverage is consistent in that it attributes the information to Twomey and frames the move as a forthcoming application rather than a confirmed outcome from the league. The reports do not provide details on the specific form of any assistance or the criteria the AFL would consider in responding to Essendon’s request. They also do not specify whether the request relates to the upcoming player-drafting process, only that it concerns priority picks. Overall, the information across the sources focuses on Essendon’s intention to ask the AFL for priority picks and supplementary assistance, with the AFL yet to respond publicly in these reports.