We are officially 17 days out from Essendon’s Round 1 clash with Hawthorn, under lights at the MCG on March 13 and between now and then, we’re doing something a little bit different.

By the time we get to Number 1, we’ll be on the eve of Round 1 — and we’ll have walked through more than a century of Essendon history, one jumper at a time.

We’ll be back tomorrow for Day 16 and Guernsey Number 16.

_______________________

Links:

Don The Stat Website | The Official Home of Don The Stat 

Jono / Ian 

We are officially 18 days out from Essendon’s Round 1 clash with Hawthorn, under lights at the MCG on March 13 and between now and then, we’re doing something a little bit different.

By the time we get to Number 1, we’ll be on the eve of Round 1 — and we’ll have walked through more than a century of Essendon history, one jumper at a time.

Guernsey Number 18 stands as one of Essendon’s most decorated jumpers — spanning Premierships from 1911 to the modern era and worn by some of the club’s greatest names.

We’ll be back tomorrow for Day 17 and Guernsey Number 17.

_______________________

Links:

Don The Stat Website | The Official Home of Don The Stat 

Jono / Ian 

We are officially 19 days out from Essendon’s Round 1 clash with Hawthorn, under lights at the MCG on March 13 and between now and then, we’re doing something a little bit different.

By the time we get to Number 1, we’ll be on the eve of Round 1 — and we’ll have walked through more than a century of Essendon history, one jumper at a time.

We’ll be back tomorrow for Day 18 and Guernsey Number 18.

_______________________

Links:

Don The Stat Website | The Official Home of Don The Stat 

Jono / Ian 

We are officially 20 days out from Essendon’s Round 1 clash with Hawthorn, under lights at the MCG on March 13 and between now and then, we’re doing something a little bit different.

By the time we get to Number 1, we’ll be on the eve of Round 1 — and we’ll have walked through more than a century of Essendon history, one jumper at a time.

Guernsey Number 20 stands as a symbol of longevity, forward firepower, and Premiership success throughout Essendon’s history.

We’ll be back tomorrow for Day 19 and Guernsey Number 19.

_______________________

Links:

Don The Stat Website | The Official Home of Don The Stat 

Jono / Ian 

Essendon’s first practice match of 2026 is in the books and so are our First Thoughts.

Normally exclusive to our Patreon subscribers, we’ve made this pre-season edition public so you can hear how we break down games immediately after the siren.

In this episode:

Negatives

Positives

We take it with a grain of salt, it’s February, after all but there were clear themes worth noting.

No Jack Kirby Medal votes for practice matches, but the structure, habits and system clues are already showing.

If you enjoy this format, our First Thoughts episodes drop after every single game for Patreon members throughout the season.

Stay Safe & Go Dons. 🔴⚫

Links:

Don The Stat Website | The Official Home of Don The Stat 

Jono / Ian 

We are officially 21 days out from Essendon’s Round 1 clash with Hawthorn, under lights at the MCG on March 13 and between now and then, we’re doing something a little bit different.

By the time we get to Number 1, we’ll be on the eve of Round 1 — and we’ll have walked through more than a century of Essendon history, one jumper at a time.

We’ll be back tomorrow for Day 20 and Guernsey Number 20.

_______________________

Links:

Don The Stat Website | The Official Home of Don The Stat 

Jono / Ian 

With Essendon’s first practice match a day away, we bring in the best training watcher in the business, Rick Edwards, to break down everything we’ve learned from the 2026 pre-season.

From role changes and standout performers to new recruits and Round 1 prospects, this is your most comprehensive look yet at how the Bombers are shaping up.

We cover:

Balanced. Informed. No fluff.

If you want to know what’s actually happening at The Hangar, this is the episode.

🔗 Rick’s Patreon link - https://www.patreon.com/cw/RickEdwards

Links:

Don The Stat Website | The Official Home of Don The Stat 

Jono / Ian

__

We are officially 22 days out from Essendon’s Round 1 clash with Hawthorn, under lights at the MCG on March 13 and between now and then, we’re doing something a little bit different.

By the time we get to Number 1, we’ll be on the eve of Round 1 — and we’ll have walked through more than a century of Essendon history, one jumper at a time.

Guernsey Number 22 stands as a symbol of scoring impact and Premiership pedigree at the Essendon Football Club

We’ll be back tomorrow for Day 21 and Guernsey Number 21.

_______________________

Links:

Don The Stat Website | The Official Home of Don The Stat 

Jono / Ian 

We are officially 23 days out from Essendon’s Round 1 clash with Hawthorn, under lights at the MCG on March 13 and between now and then, we’re doing something a little bit different.

By the time we get to Number 1, we’ll be on the eve of Round 1 — and we’ll have walked through more than a century of Essendon history, one jumper at a time.

We’ll be back tomorrow for Day 22 and Guernsey Number 22.

_______________________

Links:

Don The Stat Website | The Official Home of Don The Stat 

Jono / Ian 

We are officially 24 days out from Essendon’s Round 1 clash with Hawthorn, under lights at the MCG on March 13 and between now and then, we’re doing something a little bit different.

By the time we get to Number 1, we’ll be on the eve of Round 1 — and we’ll have walked through more than a century of Essendon history, one jumper at a time.

Guernsey Number 24 - a jumper defined by endurance, Premiership success, and some of the longest-serving players the club has ever produced.

We’ll be back tomorrow for Day 23 and Guernsey Number 23.

_______________________

Links:

Don The Stat Website | The Official Home of Don The Stat 

Jono / Ian