Don The Stat

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.

McVeigh discusses what it means to return to the club where he played 232 games, the experiences that have shaped him as a coach and the lessons he brings from his time at GWS, the Allies and Sydney.

We also explore his vision for the Bombers, the standards he wants to establish, his approach to developing Essendon’s young list and what supporters should expect as the club begins its next chapter.

A wide-ranging introduction to the man entrusted with leading Essendon forward. 🔴⚫

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
⚫ What could be Zach Merrett’s final appearance for Essendon
📋 The biggest calls among the club’s out-of-contract players
🏉 The VFL side’s charge into its first finals campaign in seven years
⏳ The continued wait for Essendon’s next senior coach
📊 Where an injury-hit Port Adelaide can be exposed

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

Don The Stat Website: https://www.donthestat.com/

Follow Us on Twitter and Bluesky:

Jono at twitter.com/JonathanJWalsh / https://bsky.app/profile/jonathanjwalsh.bsky.social

Ian at twitter.com/Kyptastic1 / https://bsky.app/profile/kyptastic.bsky.social

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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
📊 What the numbers reveal about Essendon’s three coaching candidates
🏆 Tim Watson earns a Damian Barrett Award nomination
✍️ Dyson Sharp and Jacob Farrow commit until 2030
👀 Essendon’s approaches to Scott Pendlebury and Luke Pedlar
🏉 Could Bryan and Visentini form a two-ruck partnership?
💥 How do you contain Heeney, Warner and Gulden?

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? 🔴⚫

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

Don The Stat Website: https://www.donthestat.com/

Follow Us on Twitter and Bluesky:

Jono at twitter.com/JonathanJWalsh / https://bsky.app/profile/jonathanjwalsh.bsky.social

Ian at twitter.com/Kyptastic1 / https://bsky.app/profile/kyptastic.bsky.social

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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?
🥇 What should Essendon do if it holds Pick 1?
🧑‍🏫 Where does the senior coaching search currently stand?

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

Don The Stat Website: https://www.donthestat.com/

Follow Us on Twitter and Bluesky:

Jono at twitter.com/JonathanJWalsh / https://bsky.app/profile/jonathanjwalsh.bsky.social

Ian at twitter.com/Kyptastic1 / https://bsky.app/profile/kyptastic.bsky.social

Don The Stat Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/donthestat

Follow Don The Stat on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/donthestat?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==