Port ruckman Patrick Ryder exited the Essendon Bombers in a messy way following his involvement in the Essendon drugs scandal, but it appears enough time has passed.
It was announced last month that Port Adelaide would allow Ryder and fellow Port player Sam Gray to explore their options, and AFL.com.au has reported that Ryder met with Essendon on Thursday.
Ryder played 170 games in the red and black between 2006 and 2014.
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Under-fire coach John Worsfold was among the contingent that presented to Ryder, another show of faith that Worsfold will be the coach of Essendon in 2020.
Ryder is seeking a two-year contract, with Port only willing to offer him a one-year deal. He's an attractive prospect given he's likely to come at a bargain cost to teams, with a late draft pick believed to be all that's needed to secure Ryder.
Essendon isn't the only club interested in Ryder, with the Saints also expressing their interest in the big man.
Having unsuccessfully attempted to land untried Bomber Sam Draper, as well as North ruckman Todd Goldstein, Ryder will be high on their priority list.
Essendon's move for Ryder comes as forward Joe Daniher takes time away from the club to consider his future.
Speaking on Wednesday, Essendon midfielder Zach Merrett said, “Joe’s obviously got to make his mind up himself.
“I think he’s made it pretty clear that he’s going to have a bit of time away and decide what he wants to do with his footy going forward."
He said that the club will support whatever decision Daniher makes.
“So the club’s fully supportive of Joe and whatever he does and I hope that he’s hopefully at Essendon next year," Merrett added.
“I’m not too sure, I mean, he’s got a lot of friends and family in Melbourne.
“So although it is a bit of a footy bubble, I’m sure he loves being supported by his close family and friends and he’s got some great relationships at the Essendon footy club."