Don The Stat

Jono and Ian award the Don The Stat Best and Fairest award - the Jack Kirby Medal. Who's been voted the best performed Essendon player in 2026.

Plus, the first ever Damian Barrett award for Worst Essendon take is announced. 

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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

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Make your own Tierlist: https://tiermaker.com/create/essendon-player-ratings-2026-19810700?presentationMode=false

Who starred, who struggled and who landed somewhere in between? 🔴⚫

Ian is joined by Josh Wilson to review every Essendon player who featured at senior level in 2026, handing out grades from S to D.

Who deserves an S? Who found themselves in Struggletown? And where did Ian and Josh disagree?

Plus, a look at the appointment of Mark McVeigh and the big takeaways from the back end of the season.

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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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Jono and Ian are joined by some of the Don The Stat Patrons to ask questions about Essendon past, present and future. 

We touch on list management, coaching styles, trade targets, the VFL and assistant coaches. 

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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

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

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The 2026 AFL Draft is getting closer — and Rick Edwards is back with another major update to his Top 20! 🔴⚫

Rick has watched 26 games live this season and has spent the year tracking the best young talent across the country. With the Under 18 seasons reaching their pointy end, his September rankings feature some BIG changes.

Check out Rick Edwards' draft work on Patreon — https://www.patreon.com/cw/RickEdwards

Subscribe to Don The Stat for more Essendon analysis, AFL draft discussion, rankings, statistics and list management content.

Go Dons! 🔴⚫

#AFLDraft #AFLDraft2026 #Essendon #DonTheStat #AFL

 

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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

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

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The curtain falls on one of the most difficult Essendon seasons in recent memory and it’s time to examine exactly what went wrong, what changed and whether there are genuine reasons to believe the Bombers can move forward under Mark McVeigh.

In our comprehensive 2026 Season Review, we discuss:

📊 The numbers behind Essendon’s struggles at both ends of the ground
🔄 The differences between Brad Scott and Dean Solomon’s approaches
🛡️ The late-season improvement in pressure, tackling and defensive intent
🚨 The centre-clearance, turnover and uncontested-possession problems
🧠 #Spikeball. The game plan Mark McVeigh may look to introduce in 2027
⚡ Why Essendon desperately needs more speed, skill and front-half connection
📋 The biggest priorities facing the club during the off-season
🔴 Our three biggest positives and negatives from the season
🌱 The development of Essendon’s exciting 2025 draft class
⭐ The progress of Nate Caddy, Archie Roberts and Zach Reid
💪 Peter Wright’s outstanding season as a forward-ruck
🔀 The uncertain futures of Ben McKay and Jordan Ridley
👀 Essendon’s pursuit of Artie Jones and the potential arrival of Dion Prestia
🎁 What the Bombers might receive in an AFL assistance package
🏟️ The VFL Bombers’ stirring finals victory at a packed Windy Hill

It wasn’t the season anybody wanted. But amid the disappointment, did the Bombers begin laying the foundations for something better?

We sift through the wreckage of 2026 and look ahead to the beginning of another new era at Essendon. 🔴⚫

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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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