The Essendon VFL side has made a number of key re-signings ahead of the 2016 season.

Best and Fairest winner James Polkinghorne, 2013 J.J Liston medal winner Jordan Schroder and Daniel Coghlan headline six key signatures as the Bombers look to improve on their 2015 Preliminary Final appearance.

“It’s always important to put good players and good people around our AFL guys,” VFL Operations Manager Matt Little said.

“You look at how Geelong and Box Hill have set up their players over the last ten years – they’ve been the most effective in terms of winning AFL premierships.

“It’s no secret they’ve put some really good people around their AFL listed guys playing in the VFL and that’s helped them achieve the success.”

James Ferry, Jack Langford and Sam Heavyside round out the list of re-signings.

All six players could potentially end up on an AFL list via this month's National Draft or Rookie Draft.

But if not, they’ll remain in the Essendon VFL program where they’ll play under new coach Matthew Egan.

“Matthew Egan will be terrific,” Little said.

“He already has terrific relationships with staff and our players.

“He was drafted to Geelong out of the VFL so he can really use that to build great relationships with the VFL players because he’s been through it and achieved what they’re trying to do.”

Egan replaces Hayden Skipworth who will be an AFL Line Coach this season.

“Skip was terrific in his four years with the program,” Little said.

“He was there for the last year of our Bendigo alignment and then to be a part of that start up of our standalone side, what he was able to do with it in terms of helping to build the list and educate and train guys was fantastic.

“He’s leaving the program in a far better place than what he got it in.”

Little said the recruitment and re-signing process would continue over the next few months.