IT BEGINS … FINALLY

I hope you’ve had a wonderful summer.

I hope you’ve enjoyed some time off, met up with some people you love (or tolerate for people you love) and have simply had some quality time to relax.

Because you better be recharged as there’s no other way to put this but … here we go again.

And after a week’s delay due to Cyclone Alfred, we can finally say … let the 2025 AFL Season commence!

Oh we are gluttons for pain, aren’t we? The faithful.

We all know what has come before us – those last two seasons have been nothing short of stretched-out misery. So much hope … for so much horror. Ah, but surely we are armoured against such agony. Right? After all, how much must a supporter base go through before they become numb to the heartache?

For myself, I know that each year of hurt that goes by I do find myself growing thicker skin. And no, it’s not just because of the very lovely Kit-Kat ice cream I recent dived into. It’s just that I’ve seen enough disappointment to feel that nothing will shock me now.

And yet, despite this growing sense of cynicism I feel brewing in my belly (again, not ice cream related), here I sit on the precipice of another Essendon campaign feeling … optimistic isn’t the word, but something akin to hopeful. Straight off the bat: do I think that the Bombers will play finals in 2025? No. I’m comfortable with this.

After all, Brad Scott has warned the fandom consistently that there will be a level of going backwards to go forwards.

“You can look for short term fixes — but the reality is, if you want to build a list that is capable of competing sustainably, you have to build your list sustainably. This is the direction we have chosen.” Said Scott over the pre-season.

So, what am I hopeful for?

Well, in simple terms – a visible plan.

A plan that will provide consistency, improved skills, greater endurance and a path to sustained finals footy in the near future. Consistent. Winning football.

After the turmoil around the club since the end of the Sheedy-era, which finally feels as though it came to a close with the parting of ways with former list boss, Adrian Dodoro, Essendon went into the 2024 off-season seemingly free of the toxicity that has damned the team for decades. And the club’s fresh strategies during the player movement period reflected this (hopefully) end of an era.

Matt Rosa facing the media during his 1st draft/trade period leading the recruitment team.

Matt Rosa, now truly given the reigns to construct the Dons’ list was unapologetic about the club’s new philosophy – youth.

The club brought in zero new mature players during the free agency period nor during the trade period, rather, it focused on draft picks. Points were the objective. An attempt to maximise the Bombers ability to get in quality youth, and as much as they could. Now, fair enough many could say that the club has gone to the well plenty of times and come up with nothing to show for it, that’s valid. But I feel that this draft is different for one simple reason – variety. Essendon has felt very one note at times, especially when compared to the best in the league. Teams with an array of different body types, sizes and skill sets.

They say variety is the spice of life, and Matt Rosa didn’t disappoint. IN ROSA WE TRUST. Hopefully.

At pick 70, the club got Zak Johnson. A tidy looking midfielder. At pick 61, the club selected Rhys Unwin to help bolster what has become a gaping hole in the Dons forward line – small forwards. At pick 39, Essendon picked Mason Redman 2.0 in Angus Clarke, the 189cm defender from SA. Pick 37 went to 199cm behemoth ruck/forward, Kayle Gerreyn. Damn it feels good to have a Western Australian with a vegetable name back at Tullamarine!

And at pick 13, the man who Dons faithful have been salivating over for months now, a feeling that hasn’t been dampened by his stellar 4-goal effort against Geelong only two weeks back – Isaac Kako. AKA, Nate Caddy’s BFF. It’s impossible not to get excited by Kako’s memories of he and Caddy playing at school-level, something we saw a glimpse of during that practice match at GMHBA Stadium.

“We used to tear teams apart!”

Can Kako have an immediate impact as so many fans hope he can?

Matt Rosa and co finished off strongly with rookie selections of James Hird Academy prospect Jayden Nguyen and Archer Day-Wicks from the Bendigo Pioneers. Even Michael Prior’s son, and former Brisbane Lion, Jaxon Prior was picked up on the SSP along with promising Tom Edwards.

Youth is in at Bomberland, and with the departures of Dyson Heppell, Jake Kelly and Jake Stringer, the age profile for the club is destined to fall. If Todd Goldstein wasn’t on the list, it could very well be one of the four youngest lists in the AFL itself. This is exciting! It is. However, it comes at a cost. The most likely sacrifice … the 2025 Essendon campaign.

Brad Scott is into his third season as head coach. He’s seen what he’s needed to see and along with Craig Vozzo – changes have been made. Many fans were justifiably irate at the trading of Stringer for such little return. But whatever reasons the club had for moving 42 goals out of the club must have been strong. I mean, as the clock ticked down to the end of trade period you could almost hear Brad Scott screaming down the phone, “JUST GET RID OF HIM”.

Now, this is obviously just a joke – but damn, it really did feel like those within the club were adamant that Stringer would not be good for the team in 2025. Whether this was wise will only be revealed with time, but whatever you think, it’s hard not to be emboldened by the firmness of the decision. And the potential for youthful possibilities it affords.

It’s something the club has been lacking for a long time.

The Essendon Football Club is about to embark on another (slightly delayed) campaign, with a huge clash against old rivals, Hawthorn to kick it off. And despite some casual comments from a few experts – no one expects much from the club. Most have us scratching around the doldrums of the ladder and at best, repeating the results of 2023 and 2024. But with significant change can come surprises. The Hawks came out of nowhere last season to push themselves within a whisker of a preliminary finals berth. A result of what happens when youthful talent meets a trusting coaches box. It’s hard to not see the Hawks going again in ’25, especially after what they did to Sydney during Opening Round.

Many have claimed a culture change at Bomberland … but will we see that on-field in ‘25?

Craig Vozzo appears buoyant about the team’s chances this season, citing a change in culture. “The on-field piece is high performance culture, through our leadership into the standards we set around our football department. I feel there’s been cultural change in that sense and hopefully an elevation of standards in terms of what they expect of themselves.”

These are exciting sentiments.

Optimistic, even.

So … what should the fans expect?

Earlier I mentioned what I’m hopeful to see from the Bombers this season - consistency, improved skills, greater endurance and a path to sustained finals footy in the near future. I think this is fair. Now, does this mean there won’t be bumps along the road? Of course not. But, I think it’s more than fair to expect less of them in ‘25.

I want to see improvement.

Not in flashes, no thanks, we need to see improvement across the entire season.

And, the entire playing group.

The core of this team has played a lot of footy together. Plenty of the boys are now well into their careers, with 50-100 game players now common amongst the Dons best-22. For the new guys just entering the side, there will be excuses. However, for the Parish’s, Perkins’, Redman’s, Draper’s, McGrath’s, Ridley’s (if he can remain uninjured), Laverde’s, McKay’s and the rest – the excuses will start to run thin with the fan base, quickly.

Can Kyle help fill the Package-sized hole in the Dons goal-sheet in ‘25?

At the conclusion of the trade period, Matt Rosa said, “There will be a real opportunity for youth – we’re looking forward to our younger guys stepping up,” It's hard not to think that 2025 will be a very important season for many veterans on the EFC list.

So, with footy finally just around the corner and the Hawks awaiting, I thought I’d just sum up my thoughts really quickly.

I hope that the Dons can play well this season.

I hope they play consistently.

I hope they have the stamina and the energy to go to the final siren – win, lose or draw.

I hope to beat the Filth twice, knock off the Pies on ANZAC Day, rip through the Tiges at Dreamtime and surprise the Hawks this weekend.

I hope Rob and the team get to have more laughs on the pod.

I hope Essendon rewards fans for their loyalty with some joy.

But most of all, I hope you all have a great time at the footy this year … and maybe I’ll see you there.

Go Planes.