Make your own Tierlist: https://tiermaker.com/create/essendon-player-ratings-2026-19810700?presentationMode=false

Who starred, who struggled and who landed somewhere in between? 🔴⚫

Ian is joined by Josh Wilson to review every Essendon player who featured at senior level in 2026, handing out grades from S to D.

Who deserves an S? Who found themselves in Struggletown? And where did Ian and Josh disagree?

Plus, a look at the appointment of Mark McVeigh and the big takeaways from the back end of the season.

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Jono and Ian are joined by some of the Don The Stat Patrons to ask questions about Essendon past, present and future. 

We touch on list management, coaching styles, trade targets, the VFL and assistant coaches. 

____

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The 2026 AFL Draft is getting closer — and Rick Edwards is back with another major update to his Top 20! 🔴⚫

Rick has watched 26 games live this season and has spent the year tracking the best young talent across the country. With the Under 18 seasons reaching their pointy end, his September rankings feature some BIG changes.

Check out Rick Edwards' draft work on Patreon — https://www.patreon.com/cw/RickEdwards

Subscribe to Don The Stat for more Essendon analysis, AFL draft discussion, rankings, statistics and list management content.

Go Dons! 🔴⚫

#AFLDraft #AFLDraft2026 #Essendon #DonTheStat #AFL

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The curtain falls on one of the most difficult Essendon seasons in recent memory and it’s time to examine exactly what went wrong, what changed and whether there are genuine reasons to believe the Bombers can move forward under Mark McVeigh.

In our comprehensive 2026 Season Review, we discuss:

📊 The numbers behind Essendon’s struggles at both ends of the ground

It wasn’t the season anybody wanted. But amid the disappointment, did the Bombers begin laying the foundations for something better?

We sift through the wreckage of 2026 and look ahead to the beginning of another new era at Essendon. 🔴⚫

___

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22 years. No finals wins. No premiership challenge. So how did Essendon get here?

On September 4, 2004, Essendon defeated Melbourne by five points in an elimination final at the MCG. It remains the last time the Bombers have won a game in September.

With Essendon now entering another rebuild under Mark McVeigh, this is an attempt to explain how the club went from the powerhouse of the 1990s to more than two decades of frustration — and, more importantly, what needs to change.

There isn't one person to blame. There isn't one decision that explains everything. Across the past quarter of a century there have been poor decisions, missed opportunities, bad timing and plenty of bad luck.

But there is one recurring theme:

Impatience.

Every time Essendon appeared to be getting back on its feet, the club seemed to make a decision designed to accelerate the process. Sometimes those decisions were understandable. Some even appeared to work initially. But time and again, the shortcuts ultimately pushed the Bombers backwards.

We look at the major turning points across the past 25 years, including:

🔴 The luck that helped build the 1990s powerhouse

The key lesson isn't that Essendon needs another saviour.

It needs patience.

____

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The 2026 season is over but a new Essendon era has already begun. 🔴⚫

We review the narrow final-round loss to Port Adelaide, Nate Caddy’s brilliant six-goal performance and the costly centre-bounce collapse that allowed the Power to escape with the win.

Then it’s onto the week’s biggest news: Mark McVeigh is Essendon’s new senior coach. We assess the process, the strengths Spike brings to the role, the support he’ll need around him and our experience interviewing him shortly after his appointment.

Plus, we thank Dean Solomon for his impact as interim coach, share our immediate reflections on a difficult but important season, celebrate the development of Essendon’s young core and preview the VFL elimination final at Windy Hill. 🎙️🏉

___

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New Essendon Senior Coach Mark McVeigh joins Don The Stat, along with Scooter from Lunchtime Catch up and Fiona from Bomber Banter for his first interview since taking the job.

The end of a long and difficult 2026 season has arrived but even the final game comes with a complicated question: do we desperately want one last win, or accept the benefits that could come with Pick 1? 😬

We review Essendon’s 36-point loss to Sydney, including the disastrous opening quarter and the pressure, tackling and turnover game that allowed the young Bombers to match the Swans across the remaining three terms.

We also discuss:

🔴 Andy McGrath’s 200th game

Can the Bombers produce one final spirited performance and send their supporters into the off-season with a win or will the wooden spoon at least deliver a valuable consolation prize?

____

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After a competitive opening at Kardinia Park, one disastrous stretch allowed Geelong to break the game open and condemn Essendon to a 67-point defeat.

We review the loss to the Cats, examine the dramatic difference between Essendon’s best and worst periods, and look at the encouraging performance of Vigo Visentini, who produced 33 hitouts and 17 disposals in just his third AFL game.

Then attention turns to Sydney. The Swans arrive at the MCG sitting second on the ladder, fresh from a 97-point demolition of Port Adelaide and armed with the most potent attack in the competition. It’s an imposing challenge but there may be a few chinks in their armour. 👀

We break down where Essendon can disrupt Sydney’s high-speed game, why the ground-ball battle offers the Bombers a genuine avenue of attack, and the pressure standards this young side must reach to remain competitive.

Also on the agenda:

🔴 The costly collapse against Geelong

Plus, we preview a massive weekend across the club: the VFL playing for a finals berth, the AFLW beginning its season at Windy Hill and the men attempting to disrupt Sydney’s push towards September.

It’s the Essendon triple. Who’s taking on all three? 🔴⚫

___

Watch 'The Moment that Mattered' and listen to our Post Match First Thoughts exclusively on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/donthestat

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Follow Us on Twitter and Bluesky:

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The kids showed glimpses. Peter Wright kicked six. But a 72-point defeat proved there’s still a mountain of work ahead. 🔴⚫

In this episode, we unpack Essendon’s loss to Adelaide after fielding the youngest team seen in the AFL this season. We look at the exciting ball movement, the brutal drop-off in intensity, Jaxon Artemis’ breakout performance and a dominant afternoon from Peter Wright. 🌟

We also ask some bigger questions about the rebuild:

🏗️ How does this list compare with the one inherited at the end of 2022?

Then it’s down the highway to face Geelong at its Kardinia Park fortress. What makes the Cats so difficult to stop, where can the young Bombers challenge them, and what will it take to avoid another painful lesson?

There’s nowhere to hide but there’s still plenty to learn. 🎙️

___

Watch 'The Moment that Mattered' and listen to our Post Match First Thoughts exclusively on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/donthestat

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