2024: A LIST

Well, what can you say?

That was, as sad and miserable as it sounds, a very Essendon kind of season.

Ups.

Downs.

Lefts and rights.

To be honest, I’m still trying to wrap my head around everything that’s happened this season. And yes, I know that we still have a week left of the season … but come on. So, here we are at the end of the season without any question about how long the road still is for this club to return to glory. Yet already, things appear to have changed as a consequence of 2024. Kevin Sheedy is gone from the board. Dyson Heppell has called it quits. Blake Caracella is heading back to the Tiges after leading the VFL side. And Adrian Dodoro is out.

The old Essendon is gone – every last bit of it – the new Essendon will begin as of trade week. Matt Rosa is in charge now and expectations for a significant trade/draft period are high.

But I don’t want to get ahead of myself. This little blog is about the 2024 season not the ones to come.

So, in my pondering, I found myself putting together a little list of pros and cons to try and make sense of the season just gone. I feel all of us of the red and black faithful are looking for answers and even some clues that may point to brighter times ahead, or whether and highly more likely, we’re all suffering from some unknown brain abnormality that makes us believe that maybe things will turnout okay.

I’m going to endeavour to keep it brief, but here’s just some of the thoughts that spewed out of my head about the Bombers 2024 AFL season.

THE PROS

Some of you may be wondering, “what pros?”

A fair question considering how the season ended. But 2024, though soaked in post-bye misery, wasn’t without its little gems. The kind that will keep us fuelled with moronic false hope as we rest during the off-season. But let’s start with a fun one …

Nate Caddy.

No one wants to go too early and paint this kid as the next star in the red sash, however, this kid has every weapon he needs to be a goddamn star! In less than half a season, this young phenom has shown he has what it takes to become a true forward line threat! Caddy can take the big marks, moves well, covers the ground effectively and despite a few hiccups early, showed he can find the goals! His Rising Star performance against the Gold Coast Suns surely a highlight for many fans.

One can only imagine what kind of output Caddy can muster in 2025. Because let’s be honest, with another pre-season under his belt, Essendon fans can rightfully get excited about season 2.0 for Nate Caddy.

Unapologetically passionate, Jye Caldwell has been a beacon of hope for fans in '24.

Jye Caldwell.

Caldwell this year has become the player that most of us were starting to wonder if he ever would. He plays with grit. He grinds. He fights. He plays with that near-perfect blend of toughness and skill and his stat lines this year has illustrated that he has indeed gone to the next level. He’s above average in disposals (both totals and efficiency), marks and his tackles are elite. No one will be shocked by that! The only place he lets himself down is in front of goal, but at Essendon, he’s certainly not the greatest perpetrator!

And as it stands, Caldwell sits as only one of two guys on the list who can truly go to the next level. To join Zach Merrett and become genuine A-grade stars!

Can you guess who the second is?

Sam Durham.

Sam built off a solid 2023 to really cement himself as a key pillar of the club’s midfield stocks. Talk about taking your game to the next level. In 2024, Durham is now marked as above average in disposals (with a percentage of 74 across the season), marks, handballs, tackles and clearances.

From 2023 to 2024, his clearance total has gone from 24 to 90.

But perhaps more than anything about his game, Durham’s willingness to do the dirty stuff sets him apart from the bulk of the list. Blue-collar. Relentless.

The club is lucky to have him.

Nick Bryan.

Long looked at by the Dons faithful like a mythological beast. Rumours swelled constantly about wonderful form in the VFL. Growing confidence around the ground and moments of quality that had to be seen to be believed. Yet, fleeting chances seemed to come and go for Bryan - showing at times only the slimmest of glimpses at what he could be. But with his inclusion for the last month of the season, Bryan showed what so many already guessed at … he could be special. And with his successful pairing with established ruck and resident club freak, Sam Draper, the future is starting to look clearer and considerably more promising in that department.

If Bryan remains fit and continues his development under the tutelage of Todd Goldstein, Bombers fans can sleep well knowing that for the first time in what seems like an age, the club has two quality rucks to depend on.

Zach Merrett.

Essendon’s captain.

Essendon’s best player.

Essendon’s only A-grader.

What else can you say? He deserves better than what this club has provided him. Let’s hope he can attain the success he truly deserves!

Will Essendon's unyielding leader ever be able to find the success he strives for?

Archie Roberts.

It took a while to play, but when he did, he looked right at home. His game against Sydney was unreal for a guy with as many games under his belt. 25 disposals (76% efficiency), six marks and three tackles. Promising doesn’t even begin to describe him.

Going forward it’ll be curious to see how they utilise this young talent and fans can only pray he continues to develop into a truly potent option across the wings.

Nic Martin.

Thank you, West Coast. Let’s just rattle off a few stats …

Elite in disposals (though below average in efficiency with 73%) and kicks. Above average everywhere else. He proved himself a near all-Australian winger last year, but this year with his move down back, his arsenal seems only to have grown.

Though, not without its issues.

His versatility has proven to frustrate as much as please - with the club using him so much down back, we’ve lost much of what he can do up front. It’s a balance I hope the club finds. Because when he goes up forward, he can be the difference. He has snared two bags of two, a three and a big old four pack all in the back half of the season, when he was finally pushed forward as Scott’s apparent secret ace.

What is done with him in 2025 is anyone’s guess, but a more balanced use of him across the ground simply must happen.

And if he could tidy up his disposal efficiency that’d be nice too, because sometimes … urgh!

Dyson Heppell.

Now, this one might seem a little odd – but go with me here.

Heppell has been a solid contributor for the vast majority of his career, yet everyone could see that over the past three or so seasons, there has been a considerable drop off in quality. And despite a spike in form during the early months of the season in 2024, Heppell ended the year omitted for the first time in his career and finally farewelled the club.

Why is this a positive?

Because, if nothing else Heppell’s departure seems to show that the club is finally making some of those hard calls fans have been begging them to make, even if not providing him a send-off game did seem slightly harsh – but damn it, we need a little harsh! Afterall, successive administrations have failed to leave sentiment at the door and allowed personnel to remain at the club long after they should.

Footy is a lot of things and I’m not discounting emotion as a factor. But if this club is going to finally climb out of the pit it’s been in for 20 years and counting, then they’re going to need to be truly ruthless about being successful – sentiment be damned.

Heppell’s departure from the club also signals the last player from the Supplement Saga to finish at the Bombers.

Perhaps, after over a decade the club may finally, move on.

THE CONS

Now this was tricky to make short.

Every time I thought I’d come to a dead end down misery lane, another street appeared before me. Misery lane turned right into despair court. Despair court opened up onto Brutality Boulevard, all the way up to the FARKED Freeway.

Alright, let’s get into this …

Failed Structure.

This team has holes across the ground. But with arguably one key problem at the core. But is it the defence, the forward line or … the midfield?

A key reason the forward line fails is because of poor inside-50 entries from the midfield. The backline struggles to keep pace with opponents because of the lack of midfield defensive pressure. Despite having what seems like a great collection of mids to run through the centre, the problems this team still struggle with do appear to start with this group.

Expectations were high when McKay moved across from Arden St. Expectations were not met. Did fans think too much of this unproven, high-profile signing?

Ben McKay.

It might seem harsh to some, but I feel that whatever early season form he presented has been sufficiently washed away by significant failings in his game during the back half of the season.

Though his salary isn’t necessarily his fault, it’s the nature of the AFL that players earning a certain amount are expected to perform a certain way. And for now, McKay has performed well below expectations.

2025 will need to be a significant improvement.

Mental Fortitude.

How can one club show such fight and such weakness from one week to the next – hell, even within the same game?

If there is a single thing aspect of this playing list that needs to be remedied ASAP, it’s how these guys operate above the shoulders! Everyone is well aware of the additions to the coaching staff, especially in regard to mental application, but so far it simply hasn’t helped.

Because when the pressure is on … this team crumbles.

Mason Redman.

Like Samson, did his form evaporate with the shaving of his head? Though he had shown glimpses throughout the year of the old red dog we all know and love - and his stat lines don’t look all that terrible - every fan whose been paying attention knows that he’s been well off the pace.

We can only pray he rediscovers his old form over the off-season, otherwise the club is sitting on yet another underperforming player on big money for big years.

Kyle Langford.

Started the season in as good form as he ended 2023. Then something went boom and suddenly Langford not only couldn’t get a goal … he couldn’t find the ball!

Langford has enough good credits to let this be only a ‘little con’, yet it would be remiss of me to ignore his post-ANZAC Day form. Whether he is being hampered by a niggle we are unaware of, or there is something deeper at play, we can only guess.

But at the end of the day, if Langford starts the 2025 season likes he’s ending the 2024 … questions will begin to rise about his place in the Bombers forward mix.

The Mix.

Throughout the year fans had been told on numerous occasions that Brad Scott and co. were tinkering and experimenting with different aspects of the side.

Jye Menzie played down in the back line, Harrison Jones on the wing (followed by the unsuccessful choice of pairing him with Nik Cox on the other wing), Nic Martin the backman, Nic Martin the winger, Nic Martin the forward, Nic Martin the accountant!

Some seemed valid, and successful (see Harrison Jones) but others were just downright painful to watch, and with Scott now moving into his third season as coach of the Dons, I expect to see the fruits of all these tests.

I expect also to see some common sense in regard to selection, because let’s face it, picking the best team doesn’t always translate to picking the very best players on a list. It’s got to be about picking the best players for any role available - the end. Sure, versatility is valuable, yet we’ve seen numerous times in the season where players who have been selected in foreign positions have floundered.

The Bombers rousing victory over the Giants earlier in the season feel more like a dream than reality now.

Selection Integrity.

In a lot of ways, the rage felt by Dons fandom during 2024 could be summed up with the two words in this heading, because very little else has irritated fans more than the seemingly illogical decisions made during selection.

To see so many guys played out of position simply because the coaching staff think they’re good footballers is mental. To watch so many struggle through Brad Scott’s ‘experiments’ has been painful and no doubt damaging to their overall confidence in their ability. Play the best guy in each position and if a particular player doesn’t fit, don’t play them – the end.

Scott has been allowed plenty of flexibility from fans. It’s only his second season and we all knew there’d be teething issues. However, if Scott and so continue to tinker and fail with these misplaced footballers, fans patience (already at a historic low) will start to voice itself. Loudly.

Scott’s honeymoon at Tullamarine has concluded. In 2025, there needs to be visible change.

Selecting the right side with the right players is a good place to start.

Nik Cox.

He is not a backman. Of all the times during the season where Cox has underperformed down back, my mind strays to the loss to the Suns. Sure, despite suffering what appeared to be a very minor knock and leaving the ground early in the game, it was evident early in the contest that he had neither the athleticism nor the skill set to go with either of Mac Andrew or Ben King.

Nik Cox is a wingman if anything, but with Harrison Jones showing true promise as a floating wingman/forward, Archie Roberts exciting in only a handful of games and Xavier Duursma built for the wing, it will be very interesting to see what the club intends to do with him going forward.

Because if he’s not on a wing … what do you do with Nik Cox?

Maybe, trade him.

And … speaking of trade bait.

Peter Wright.

Former highest goal-kicker for Essendon. Former Crichton Medallist of only a few years ago. Big money for three years still to come. These are not typically the accolades you put next to a player who I truly don’t know what happens to in 2025.

Let’s not beat around the bush, Wright has had a stinker of a season (though he’s not alone). And to finish the year in the VFL and performing just alright, would be brutal to accept for the man, I have zero doubt. But what else can the club do with him?

He lacks grit, tenacity, desire, hunger and even a general sense about reading the flight of the ball. For a man who is paid to kick goals … he is failing. What’s worse for Wright is the successful pairing of Bryan and Sam Draper, where Bryan’s technical skill set for ruck work is starting to meld delightfully with Draper’s freakish ability.

Were Essendon not such a tall forward side already, with Caddy, Jones, Langford, Stringer, Bryan and Draper already spending minutes up front, fitting in a Wright wouldn’t be so difficult. But that ain’t reality.

And what the club does with Wright is another one of those questions I’m sure will occupy the thoughts of many Dons fans during the warmer months.

In truth I could have gone on and on with this list – Jake Stringer, Archie Perkins, Will Setterfield, Zach Reid, Jake Kelly, Alwyn Davey Jr, murdered on transitions, conversion and on and on. But that’s the way it goes. It’s the nature of ending the season as the club has. But I have to say this has helped me.

It’s cathartic.

My therapy in many ways. 

This club is capable of eliciting so much emotion from me I find it almost unsettling. I’ve often joked that a Bombers win, or loss will likely mean very little to me on my deathbed, yet I allow this football team to dictate my mood for 24+ weeks of the year.

Is it insanity?

Highly likely.

But I suppose that’s what being a fan is all about. Riding the waves of the season, no matter how stormy they may be. God knows our little Bombers boat has seen its fair share of storms. I only hope that in the years to come we start to see those black clouds break open and spot the sun shining down on us once again.

Despite how this season has panned out and how frustrated we all are with where we find the club sitting at the end of it all, I still hold out hope the clouds have begun to crack … even if only a little.

Enjoy the summer months Dons faithful.

See you in ‘25.

Go Planes.