Essendon is meeting Gold Coast ruckman Zac Smith this week, as the Bombers seek to bring in a ruckman in the forthcoming trade period.

Smith, who was in Melbourne on Tuesday and is expected to see the Bombers on Wednesday, is among at least three or four options that the Dons are considering to shore up their thin ruck division, with Brisbane's Matthew Leuenberger – a free agent who has been linked to Sydney – also on the Bombers' radar. Carlton's big-name free agent Matthew Kreuzer has been ruled out as a potential ruckman by the Bombers.

On the Bombers' radar: Zac Smith (right). Credit:Getty Images

Geelong also has shown some interest in Smith, the ruckman who had shown enormous promise at the Gold Coast before tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee in 2013 and then suffering a season-ending ankle injury in 2014. While the Dons are keen to bring in a ruckman, they are undecided about whether to progress discussions with the Suns about another – more talented and contentious – Gold Coast player in Harley Bennell.