KOMMER, Nick

Nick Kommer was recruited from West Perth (WAFL) and debuted in Round 1, 2013, against the Adelaide Crows at Football Park in Adelaide.

He had made his own way to Melbourne from WA in order to train with the Bombers in 2012 and have a crack at the big time. The move paid off and he was impressive enough for Essendon to take him at pick 73 in the 2012 National Draft.

He impressed from the start with his pace, commitment to the contest, tackling pressure and goal sense. In his third outing he picked up a two week suspension but was back in Round 6, adding spark and speed to the forward line.

He strung together 16 games before a hand injury in Round 19 finished his impressive first year. Sadly, injuries were to blight the rest of his AFL career.

After such a promising start in his first season, tendonitis in his knee kept Kommer on the sidelines for the entire 2014 season and the first ten rounds of 2015, He returned through the VFL, playing three games there before a thigh injury finished his year.

His commitment to the Club, despite his injury problems, was acknowledged when he won the 2015 Bill Hutchison Community Award for his work with On The Ball, the Ladder charity and as an ambassador for YGAP's "Polished Man" campaign.

The Club took a cautious approach to his recovery and he was back in 2016 but only played Rounds 2 and 3 before returning to the VFL for the best part of the year. His knee issues continued and he was delisted at the end of 2016.