Don The Stat

Essendon heads north to take on the reigning premiers in one of the toughest assignments of the season. This week on Don The Stat, Jono and Humey unpack another frustrating loss to St Kilda, but also examine the encouraging signs emerging beneath the surface under interim coach Dean Solomon. From improved defensive structure and clearance numbers to the development of young guns like Robey, Sharp...

Essendon returns to Marvel Stadium searching for just its second win of the season after another frustrating performance against North Melbourne. Jonathan Walsh is back from Europe alongside Ian Hume as the boys review the Kangaroos loss, discuss the concerning trends that continue to hold the Bombers back, and question some of the recent selection and positional decisions. They also unpack the cl...

The bye is over and Essendon returns for a big opportunity in their Round 16 clash against North Melbourne. With finals out of reach but plenty still to play for, Ian Hume and Josh Wilson break down why the final nine weeks of the season remain important for the Bombers' future. They discuss Essendon's disappointing loss to Melbourne, the key statistical areas that need improvement, and what Dean...

The Don The Stat Patreon community takes centre stage in our annual Mid-Season Q&A Special! With Essendon sitting at a crossroads in 2026, Ian Hume and Jonathan Walsh tackle a huge range of supporter questions covering the biggest issues facing the club. 🔴 Is there anything positive to take from the season so far? ⚫ Who should coach Essendon in 2027 – James Hird, James Kelly or John Longmire...

Is Essendon still on the right path, or has the club blinked at a critical moment in its rebuild? This week on Don The Stat, Ian is joined by Tommy Wolfe from Reading The Play ( https://readingtheplay.wordpress.com/ ) for a deep dive into the Bombers' future following the shock departure of Brad Scott. Tommy discusses why he believes Essendon is still two strong drafts away from completing its tal...

Essendon heads to the MCG to face a Melbourne side that has transformed into one of the competition's most dangerous teams since the Bombers upset them during Gather Round. With Jono away in England, Ian is joined by long-time Don The Stat patron and tactical analyst Josh Wilson to break down Essendon's loss to Carlton, assess the early signs of the Dean Solomon era, and preview a massive challeng...

Support Rick at his Patreon here - https://www.patreon.com/cw/RickEdwards With Essendon's 2026 season spiralling and the AFL Draft becoming the major source of optimism for Bombers fans, we welcome back one of the most respected talent watchers in the Essendon community — Rick Edwards. In this special Don The Stat episode, Rick reveals his exclusive Mid-Season Top 20 AFL Draft Rankings and breaks...

Stubby Holder Form - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdRJGhBVEqDn7pywRvnDCnybyQR8vvoeMoIaoIGa0QDx7hT0A/viewform?usp=dialog   Essendon and Carlton. The ladder might say one thing, but this rivalry always means something. This week on Don The Stat, Jono and Humey review Dean Solomon's first game as interim coach following the Bombers' disappointing loss to West Coast and examine what, if an...

It has been one of the biggest weeks in recent Essendon history. After another injury-hit loss, this time to Richmond in Dreamtime at the ‘G, the Bombers sit 1-10 and anchored to the bottom of the AFL ladder. The fallout only intensified with the sacking of Brad Scott, another wave of media scrutiny, and Dean Solomon stepping in as interim coach. On this week’s Don The Stat Match Preview, Jono and...

This was recorded on Patreon live earlier this evening. Ian gives his reaction to Brad Scott's sacking and interacts with Patrons. Jono will give his thoughts on our main show this Thursday

***Apologies for the audio quality, there were issues with the recording tonight*** Dreamtime at the ‘G returns, but this year it arrives with plenty of pressure surrounding both Essendon and Richmond. In this episode of Don The Stat, Jono and Humey break down the Bombers’ disappointing loss to Fremantle, including another poor start, contest issues around stoppage, and why the raw stats didn’t fu...

A 26-point lead. A young side full of energy. Then a game that slipped away. This week on Don The Stat, Jono and Humey unpack Essendon's frustrating 14-point loss to GWS after looking in control for long stretches. Was it simply a case of experience winning out, or did deeper issues emerge late in the game? We dive into: The Giants comeback and where things unravelled • Elite forward-half pressure...

Don The Stat brings up its 100th Match Preview episode as Essendon heads north to face the GWS Giants at ENGIE Stadium. After a tough 64-point loss to the reigning premiers Brisbane, the boys break down what went wrong, from the alarming centre bounce numbers to Essendon’s inability to contain Brisbane’s uncontested ball movement. There’s discussion around the development of the Bombers’ young cor...

Article Link - https://www.donthestat.com/post/round-7-check-point-essendon-2026 ANZAC Day heartbreak is in the rear-view mirror, but the challenge only gets tougher for Essendon in Round 8. After a competitive first half against Collingwood, the Bombers were overrun in brutal fashion, going down by 77 points. Now they return to Marvel Stadium to face the back-to-back premiers Brisbane Lions, one...

Essendon heads into Anzac Day off the back of a narrow 9 point loss to Gold Coast. A result that didn’t go our way, but one that showed clear signs of growth. In this episode, we break down what worked against the Suns and where the game was lost, particularly around key moments and centre bounce damage. We dive into the evolving midfield mix, the impact of Tsatas, McGrath and Wright, and the defe...

Essendon is on the board in 2026 and in style. After four tough losses to start the season, the Bombers delivered a statement 45-point win over Melbourne at Gather Round. But as encouraging as it was, the challenge now shifts to consistency. This week, Essendon heads to the Gold Coast to take on a Suns side coming off back-to-back losses but still one of the most dangerous offensive teams in the c...

Essendon heads to Gather Round still searching for its first win of the 2026 season, but there were at least some signs of life in the second half against the Bulldogs. On this week’s Don The Stat, Jono and Humey break down the 34-point Easter Sunday loss to the Dogs. A match that featured some of Essendon’s worst football of the year early, before producing some of their most encouraging after qu...

Three rounds in, and Essendon are still searching. After a frustrating 12-point loss to North Melbourne, the Bombers showed signs of progress—but ultimately, it was another game that slipped away. Poor conversion, costly turnovers, and lapses at key moments continue to define a side struggling to turn performance into results. In this episode, we break down what went wrong (and what went right) ag...

Two rounds in, and Essendon’s 2026 season is already under real pressure. In this episode of Don The Stat, Jono and Humey review the Bombers’ 63-point loss to Port Adelaide, a result that made it back-to-back 10 goal defeats to open the year. They unpack the familiar themes from the first fortnight: clearance struggles, poor transition, lack of movement ahead of the ball, and the growing debate ar...

Round 1 hit hard. After a 62-point loss to Hawthorn, we dig into exactly what went wrong for Essendon in the season opener — and why the biggest issues ran deeper than the usual surface-level takes. From midfield struggles and centre bounce damage, to field position, forward structure and transition problems, we give the Hawks loss the full Don The Stat treatment. We also take a look at the wider...

The wait is over. Round 1 of the 2026 AFL season has arrived. In this episode of Don The Stat, Jono and Humey preview Essendon’s season opener against Hawthorn. After months of pre-season training, match simulations and practice games, we finally get our first real look at the Bombers when the points count. The guys break down everything you need to know ahead of Friday night. In this episode we c...

We are officially 1 day out from Essendon’s Round 1 clash with Hawthorn, under lights at the MCG tomorrow night. Leading into the 2025 Season, we counted down our Top 100 Essendon players since 1980. In 2026, we counted down through Essendon’s guernsey numbers. Who wore it first. Who wore it most. Which Premiership players pulled it on. Brownlow winners, club legends, cult heroes, and sometimes th...

We are officially 2 days out from Essendon’s Round 1 clash with Hawthorn, under lights at the MCG on March 13 and between now and then, we’re doing something a little bit different. Leading into the 2025 Season, we counted down our Top 100 Essendon players since 1980. In 2026, we’re kicking off a daily countdown to Round 1, 2026 but instead of just ticking off days on a calendar, we’re counting th...

We are officially 3 days out from Essendon’s Round 1 clash with Hawthorn, under lights at the MCG on March 13 and between now and then, we’re doing something a little bit different. Leading into the 2025 Season, we counted down our Top 100 Essendon players since 1980. In 2026, we’re kicking off a daily countdown to Round 1, 2026 but instead of just ticking off days on a calendar, we’re counting th...

We are officially 4 days out from Essendon’s Round 1 clash with Hawthorn, under lights at the MCG on March 13 and between now and then, we’re doing something a little bit different. Leading into the 2025 Season, we counted down our Top 100 Essendon players since 1980. In 2026, we’re kicking off a daily countdown to Round 1, 2026 but instead of just ticking off days on a calendar, we’re counting th...