‘Probably wouldn’t have hung around’: Redman’s candid admission after signing fresh deal

Mason Redman, who was recently re-signed by Essendon, has claimed that if he had been out of contract at this time last year, he would have left the club.

In a significant coup for the Bombers, Redman turned down free agency this week and signed a new five-year deal with them through 2028.

However, in a brutally honest — and excellent — interview with SEN, Redman stated that he saw his future elsewhere during Essendon’s disastrous 2022 season, prior to the club’s transition under new coach Brad Scott.

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Mason Redman, who was recently re-signed by Essendon, has claimed that if he had been out of contract at this time last year, he would have left the club.

In a significant coup for the Bombers, Redman turned down free agency this week and signed a new five-year deal with them through 2028.

However, in a brutally honest — and excellent — interview with SEN, Redman stated that he saw his future elsewhere during Essendon’s disastrous 2022 season, prior to the club’s transition under new coach Brad Scott.

This weekend, watch every major AFL match. Kayo offers live and ad-free in-play. Are you new to Kayo? Begin your free trial today >

“I feel as though there were too many people pulling in too many different directions. Definitely towards the back-end of last year I felt that.

“Probably at the start of your career as a young guy you’re just in and trying to play football, you’re trying to break in and you don’t realise that the inner or outer workings of the club actually affect the team’s performance.

“You don’t know what you don’t know.”

So confident is Redman in the club’s direction under Scott, who he called “best senior coach I’ve had, albeit for 10 months,” that the defender believes the Bombers boss will lead it to its 17th flag.

“I’m really looking forward to working with him long-term. That’s something that’s really exciting for me,” Redman added.

“This might come as a surprise to people, I do think he will be the next Essendon premiership coach. Hopefully we can provide that to him as a playing group.

“It’s really exciting to get to work with him. He’s very important to the decision for me because ultimately what I want as a player is to win a premiership. If anybody sits in this seat and says they don’t want to win a flag. I think they’re lying to you.

“That’s ultimately one of the big riders behind my decision making is that’s what I want get out of my career and I think Brad is the right man for the job.”

It comes after Redman has elevated his status in recent years to now sit among the elite half backs in the competition.

And so the 25-year old was one of the most sought-after players on the market prior to re-signing with Essendon, particularly interest from the Crows in a bid to lure him back to South Australia.

Redman explained how lifestyle and an opportunity for success were key factors in his decision to remain a Bomber, but admitted he genuinely considered moving back to Adelaide.

“Me and my partner will settle down soon and start a family at some stage, so where we wanted to do that,” he said.

“It’s been widely covered that Adelaide was an option for myself. I was definitely looking into that and being SA-born there is a bit of a pull back there. I’m not going to sit here and lie to you and say that there wasn’t ever a pull there.

“We got down to the crux of it, wrote it all out, the pros and the cons and ended up settling back here.”

Adding to the pull for Redman to return to SA was his link to Crows skipper Jordan Dawson, emphasising how much promise he thinks Matthew Nicks’ side has despite not joining it.

“I actually grew up with Jordan Dawson … I’ve got a great relationship with him. I had a couple of chats with them along the way,” Redman added.

“I honestly think they’re going down the right path. They’re going to be a successful team for a long period of time.

“We had chats with them but obviously came to the decision to stay at the Bombers.

“I don’t think you’ll find a non-Adelaide supporter being more supportive of those guys … I wish them all the best over the next few years.”

Redman, who’s played 98 AFL games since making his debut in 2016, has averaged career-best 22.3 disposals, 6.2 marks and 470 metres gained playing in all 18 games this season.