Permission to dream

2014 was the last time I felt any joy at Dreamtime at the G. Well, it had been.

But as of Saturday night, things have changed.

Like most of you, my voice is on the mend, my heartbeat has simmered down to an almost normal rate, and I’ve just sent off my 23rd petition for the club to erect a Sam Durham statue at the Hangar. But that win will be on my mind for longer than just a week. I fear this smile, courtesy of our beloved Bombers victory on Saturday night may be permanent. Because this one felt more than just 4-points. It was one of the special ones.

A streak killer.

As the saying goes, it’s been a long time between drinks. And boy were we parched! Because up until Duzza’s last gasp goal to win it and that sweet, oh so sweet final siren went off, my feelings about this fixture were plain and simple. Misery.

Don’t get me wrong, I think Dreamtime at the G is arguably the most phenomenally produced game of the season. From the indigenous culture, art, ceremony, music and the jumpers themselves, there’s very little that matches it on the calendar outside of finals. That pre-game entertainment on Saturday evening put the Grand Final to shame!

But God we’ve sucked at this game.

So, in light of our streak ended/instant classic of a victory over Richmond, I thought it appropriate to do a little run down of our history with this beautiful, high-profile marquee game that Kevin Sheedy developed for our club to participate. Alright, deep breath. Because prior to Saturday’s 1-point victory our record against the Tiges in Dreamtime went something like this …

Loss, loss, win, loss, win, win, loss, win, win, win, loss, loss, loss, loss, loss, loss, loss and would you believe it LOSS!

But our misery against the Punt Road mob hasn’t been confined to Dreamtime spectacles.

Since our previous last victory over the Tiges in 2014’s Dreamtime game, Essendon had gone 0-13 during that time, with losses ranging from an honourable 8-points to a whopping, hideous 71-point drubbing.

Ironically, it was Richmond’s 66-point massacre of the Dons at the end of 2022 that concluded Ben Rutten’s short tenure in the top job at Tullamarine, ushering in a multitude of changes at the club. Richmond, somewhat ironically, then re-hired Rutten back for the 2023 season. Probably for the best in hindsight.

Thanks for your time, Ben, but we’ll be keeping Brad for now.

But let’s not get bogged down in petty little wins. As I said up above – things have changed. We won. On Dreamtime. A feat seemingly more unachievable than beating the Pies on ANZAC Day or annihilating Carlton by such a margin that the entire club is embarrassed into non-existence.

Just a little fantasy I go to now and then.

But after a stellar performance by an injury ravaged, bare bones Bombers outfit, the streak has been broken. We now sit 5-5 after 10 rounds. The team certainly could’ve had a few more, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves – this is Essendon – so we could easily be worse off as well.

But this victory counts for more than just another win. In modern times, Essendon has been the butt of countless jokes from opposition fans. Not just because of our issues on-field or saga related dramas … but because we are the team with the streaks.

The Richmond Streak.

The Winless Finals Streak.

We are nearing 20 years since our last finals victory, and we were nearing 10 since our last win over Richmond.

But one streak has now ended. One of the monkey’s off our back. We’re lighter now – you can feel it.

Now, I’m not saying that a single victory on Dreamtime at the G will suddenly resolve our finals woes. But it’s a step in the right direction. Ever since Kevin Sheedy departed from the coaches’ box at the end of 2007, the Essendon Football Club has been bouncing from one coach to another - one strategy to another - one false dawn to another.

As fans, it’s worn us down. We’re a sceptical bunch. Scarred. Afraid to be hurt again by yet another new coach, promising change. And this might be the optimist in me talking, but something feels different this time. The club has taken the untried path before. From Matthew Knights to James Hird and Ben Rutten. We’ve had more caretaker coaches than I’d have preferred. Mark Thompson for a year and John Worsfold for a few more than he should have.

But with Brad Scott, it feels eerily right. The club, through generational poor management, were forced to take the hard route in the most recent off-season. External reviews were commissioned to seek out ugly truths, not internal ones that papered over cracks they didn’t want us to see.

The team is on the hard path that the club needed to tread. And it feels like the right path. Winning one Dreamtime game isn’t going to change the Bomber world, but it’s a start.

One streak is over.

Another one waits to be ended.