After growing up through the North Hobart pathway and the Tasmania Devils program, Menzie took his goal-kicking exploits to South Australia were he starred for South Adelaide with 20 goals in eight matches.

It was enough to see him picked in the SANFL side which conquered the WAFL in a representative match and generate plenty of buzz prior to the mid-season draft.

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Menzie's former North Hobart coach Richard Robinson remembers the night he thought the 19-year-old from Bridgewater had something special.

In the midst of COVID-19, when the Devils' program was on hiatus, Menzie looked like he'd never missed a beat as he prepared for a full season with the Demons.

"When Jye came back that first night and we're training in small groups, I just remember thinking 'gee have a look at this kid', he's one touch, he's quick and zipping around," Robinson said.

"Bear in mind, he hadn't trained for three months because he couldn't yet he's come back to training and he's just a one-touch player.

"That's when you sort of go 'oh this kid might make it' if he gets an opportunity."

Menzie notched 16.7 disposals, 3.8 marks, and 1.7 goals across seven games for the Demons last season.

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North Hobart president Craig Martin echoed those thoughts about their former goalsneak, who landed at Essendon with pick 18 in the mid-season draft.

"You wouldn't meet a finer young man than Jye Menzie, he's an absolute ripper and a credit to his family and our footy club and obviously, South Adelaide as well," he said.

"He's the quintessential small forward if you like, very quick, skillfull, kicks goals and really good at keeping the ball in his area which is something he's developed as he's gotten older.

"We're all absolutely delighted for him and we know that he's going to go on and make a success out of it."

Menzie will be joined at the Bombers by fellow mid-season pick Massimo D'Ambrosio, who was the Western Jets' co-captain in the NAB League this season.

The Bombers have been willing to put their trust in the mid-season recruits with Will Snelling (2019) and Sam Durham (2021) becoming regulars in the senior side since their selections.

Following the recent retirement of Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, Essendon's national recruiting manager Robert Foster-Knight said the club were glad to add the Tasmanian to their list.

"Jye is a pressure forward who creates a lot of havoc in the forward line but also hits the scoreboard too, so he has the right balance between attack and defence, which we really value," he said.

Menzie's selection continues the tradition of one Tasmanian being selected in the mid-season draft following Ryan Gardner (2019) and Jackson Callow (2021) with the draft postponed in 2020 due to COVID-19.

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