Essendon captain Zach Merrett has been in phenomenal form throughout 2025 The 29-year-old was crucial in the Bombers’ three-point win over North Melbourne collecting 35 touches all over the ground and standing tall as the game was on the line Averaging an elite 31.3 disposals and four clearances per game Merrett earned extremely high praise from coach Brad Scott comparing him to Collingwood great Nathan Buckley during his post-match press conference on Thursday night “(It’s) unfair to make too many comparisons but this one I think is appropriate,” Scott said “He reminds me so much of Nathan Buckley in his will to win I had the misfortune of playing against Nathan Buckley and then had the fortune of coaching him his drive and will to win was close to second to none “Merrett reminds me so much of him in that regard but Merrett also like Nathan backs that up with work ethic The Brownlow Medallist and seven-time All-Australian commented on Scott’s comments labelling the comparison as a credit to the Bombers midfielder “I thought my time as a comparison was done,” Buckley told SEN’s Whateley I fear for Zach’s sanity if his will to win was anywhere like mine was it was a will to prove yourself as a person and it was all-encompassing no wonder the coach is enamoured with him because of his approach to the game.” Crafted by Project Diamond A NOTE ABOUT RELEVANT ADVERTISING: We collect information about the content (including ads) you use across this site and use it to make both advertising and content more relevant to you on our network and other sites. This is also known as Online Behavioural Advertising. Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out ESSENDON has held on to defeat a gallant North Melbourne by three points in a Thursday night thriller at Marvel Stadium The Bombers managed just two goals after the main break but had done enough in a dominant first half to secure the 9.11 (65) to 9.8 (62) victory BOMBERS v KANGAROOS Full match coverage and stats A missed shot to North Melbourne debutant Finnbar Maley with less than two minutes to go helped the Bombers get over the line in a nailbiting finish in front of a raucous crowd of 35,439 The mature-aged recruit took a contested mark with the game in the balance but took longer than the designated 30 seconds to begin his run up and was called by the umpire to play on whose kick dropped short on the goalline and was taken over by Essendon defenders for a behind The Bombers kept possession of the ball in the final moments to hold for the narrow win The thrilling final moments between Essendon and North Melbourne in round eight kicking the first three goals of the match Two of the three came from young forward Archie Perkins who converted two set shots from practically the same spot on the 50m arc Essendon transitioned the ball quickly when going forward opening up North's defence and making it easy for the Bombers to find free players inside 50 North finally got a score of their own midway through the term when Cam Zurhaar converted from a free kick who on debut had a first possession he will remember forever The 21-year-old announced himself with a huge contested mark inside forward 50 and kicked his first goal with his first kick at AFL-level It looked as though Maley's efforts might bring the Kangaroos to life but the momentum swung back the Dons' way as they scored the next three goals before quarter-time to give them a 22-point buffer at the first change Extended highlights of the Bombers and Kangaroos clash in round eight of the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season Watch Essendon’s press conference after round eight’s match against North Melbourne Watch North Melbourne’s press conference after round eight’s match against Essendon Bombers skipper Zach Merrett lifts his side with some elite ball use and relentless drive in a 35-disposal masterclass The Bombers and Kangaroos clash in round eight of the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season Isaac Kako conjures a timely goal for the Bombers with some class around the sticks bursts forward and dribbles home a ripper as the Roos continue to press Essendon loses Jordan Ridley right before the main break as the injury-riddled defender appears to hurt his hamstring while being tackled North Melbourne is forced to substitute Jackson Archer out of the game after the rebound defender appears to hurt his hamstring before being tackled Kangaroos captain Jy Simpkin nails a beauty from long range to fire up his troops Kangaroos debutant Finnbar Maley clunks a towering mark and slots a goal with his very first kick Archie Perkins gets Essendon off to a fast start with a couple of strong marks and finishes The second term was a low scoring affair with only two goals kicked for the term The Bombers wasted opportunities in front of goal North skipper Jy Simpkin kicked his first with a scintillating goal on the run both sides suffered hamstring injuries to key players in the second quarter within minutes of each other who limped from the field midway through the term before luckless Bomber Jordan Ridley left the ground shortly after with the same injury The injury-riddled Bomber suffered a hamstring setback over the pre-season and was limited to just nine games last year due to a quad injury Essendon forward Jade Gresham's night also finished early with a groin concern leaving the Bombers with just two fit players on the bench late in the final term a third goal to Perkins before half-time extended their margin back out to 25 points at the main break North came out with renewed energy after half-time kicking four unanswered goals to start the second half The first came from a dashing run inside 50 from 2023 No.2 draft pick Colby McKercher then the following two came from consecutive goals to North spearhead Nick Larkey who has had his goalkicking issues in recent weeks followed by a short set shot from a free kick North's four goals reduced the margin to one point before young Essendon forward Nate Caddy came through with a soccered kick for his second goal of the game to give his side a much-needed steadier as North responded quickly when Zurhaar kicked an outrageous dribbler from the boundary that went past two Essendon defenders Moments before the three-quarter time siren Bomber Harrison Jones rolled over on his ankle as he attempted to spoil a Dylan Stephens mark near the boundary line He landed awkwardly and had to be stretchered off the ground The stage was set for a close final quarter kicked the first of the final term when he crumbed and snapped a goal to start proceedings The arm wrestle continued until finally North got one of their own when Zane Duursma again reduced the margin to within a goal late North had its moment when Maley lined up for his shot on goal but his miss allowed the Bombers to hang on in a thriller Maley's momentsNorth Melbourne unveiled a new cult hero tonight in mature-aged recruit Finnbar Maley Maley was picked up by the Kangaroos with Pick No.2 in the 2023 Rookie Draft from Eltham Football Club after a stint in the VFL with the Northern Bullants The tall forward with a signature moustache made an immediate impact taking a strong contested mark with his first touch and converted truly Maley joins the illustrious group of players to kick a goal with their first kick as he bent the ball around in a snap shot on goal Maley's set shot with less than two minutes to go could have seen the first gamer kick the sealer Jones' horror injuryEssendon's Harrison Jones looks set for a lengthy sideline stint after a horror ankle injury saw the 24-year-old stretched from the ground at the three-quarter time break Jones went down after a marking contest where he lost his footing and rolled over on his ankle With the utility unable to put weight on his foot the Bombers will eagerly await scans to determine the severity of the injury ESSENDON                    6.1    7.5    8.7    9.11 (65)NORTH MELBOURNE     2.3    3.4    8.6    9.8 (62) Gresham (groin)North Melbourne: Archer (hamstring) SUBSTITUTESEssendon: Jye Menzie (replaced Jordan Ridley in the second quarter)North Melbourne: Bailey Scott (replaced Jackson Archer in the second quarter) Gold Coast Academy’s Usher on her ACL injury rehab battles and best friend Havana Harris incredible misses and more in our look back on the April action of the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership season Three-time premiership coach Mick Malthouse gives host Bharat Sundaresan the rundown on how Australian football began and how it became such a significant part of Australian culture With a challenging month of away clashes ahead Fremantle needs to find a way to win on the road if it's to seriously contend in 2025 One of footy's famous rivalries will kick off the AFLW season to mark the 10th season of the competition Check out all the action from the state leagues around the country Damian Barrett and Matthew Lloyd with the latest news and opinions from Round 8 Roy and Warnie bring you the round eight teams Footy Feed: Sarah Olle and Riley Beveridge with the latest news Check out the Rising Star for AFL’s Round 8 Will a hard tag from Jack Viney be the reason Harley Reid leaves the Eagles Vote now on your favourite marks from Round 8 of the Toyota AFL Premiership Season The Match Review findings for Sunday's round eight games are in In the spirit of reconciliation the AFL acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today Old rivals will meet again on Thursday night when Essendon hosts North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium the Roos challenged the Power in Round 6 and will be looking to follow up on their improved performance when they face off with the Bombers When: Thursday, May 1 at 7.30pm AESTWhere: Marvel Stadium, MelbourneGates Open: 5.45pm AESTTickets: Secure your seat here! Looking for the perfect gift for a special Kangas fan Explore our range of exclusive Matchday Experiences Find everything you need to know about getting to Marvel Stadium here: Our venue partner The Pass has 200+ venues available in Australia. Find a location near you to watch with other Roos fans! receive 15 per cent off all your food and bev purchases at The Wharf in Docklands To join the NMFC list and receive your exclusive discount: Thursday's game will be broadcast live on Channel 7 Become a Digital Roo member and access the all the member benefits, and a discounted Premium Kayo subscription. Buy now for just $35 a month.  For behind-the-scenes access follow the @NMFCOfficial accounts on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and X  and don't forget to use #Kangas to join the conversation The North Melbourne Werribee Kangaroos have suffered their first loss of the season Wil Dawson's three majors have propelled North Melbourne to its third win in a row at VFL level Midfield gun George Wardlaw has won a Goal of the Year nomination for his brilliant snap against Port Adelaide Extended highlights of the Bombers and Kangaroos VFLW clash in Round 3 The Bombers and Kangaroos clash in Round 6 NMFC Media speaks to Tristan Xerri following the three-point loss to the Bombers Senior coach Alastair Clarkson speaks to reporters after Round 8's match against Essendon A scan on Friday confirmed the extent of Jackson Archer's hamstring injury Young defender Matt Whitlock and forward Robert Hansen jnr are the latest Roos to put pen to paper The North Melbourne Kangaroos acknowledge the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation the traditional owners of our spiritual homeground at Arden Street We extend our respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across Australia ESSENDON forward Harrison Jones says his horrific-looking ankle injury has turned out better than first feared but it remains to be seen how long he'll be out of action Jordan Ridley (hamstring) and Jade Gresham (adductor) were injured on Thursday night in a costly 9.11 (65) to 9.8 (62) victory for the Bombers over North Melbourne The Kangaroos were also left counting the cost, with defender Jackson Archer set to miss some eight weeks with a high grade left hamstring strain Jones was taken off on a stretcher and taken to hospital following an awkward landing that put his left ankle at a horror angle Essendon confirmed on Friday night that Jones had suffered a minor fracture in the base of his foot but would not require surgery The 24-year-old was in good spirits when he briefly spoke to the media on Friday to give an update on his situation It’s a lot better than it could have been,” Jones told reporters I sort of looked down and saw my foot was the other way Ridley has had a roller-coaster career with quad and left hamstring injuries but he has also avoided the need for surgery and he's had to overcome some adversity," Essendon coach Brad Scott said "And just as he looks like he's starting to get a free run at it suffered a low-grade adductor strain and has been ruled out of next week's meeting with Sydney Defender Zach Reid was understandably flat despite the win it doesn't feel like a win in here because of the injuries," Reid told AAP "The first 48 hours is pretty tough and Harry's my housemate "He just headed off to hospital but I'll get around him." Essendon are already without Sam Draper (achilles) Nick Bryan (ACL) and Tom Edwards (ACL) through season-ending injuries "It's just another test of character," Scott said the hard thing's to measure the intangibles and character's one of those and resilience is another one - and character and resilience really only reveal themselves under adversity and we get an opportunity to stand up again under a bit of pressure "We've had quite a few players in our emergencies multiple weeks in a row Geelong coach praises Collingwood for 'good attack ESSENDON will be aiming for a 12th straight win over North Melbourne when the teams meet on Thursday night The Bombers have dominated the Kangaroos in recent years Bailey Scott has been named the Roos' sub after being recalled to the side this week while Jye Menzie will start as the Bombers' sub BOMBERS v KANGAROOS Follow it LIVE Essendon is 3-3 after its three-game winning streak was ended by Collingwood on Anzac Day are 1-6 but showed improved signs in their loss to Port Adelaide Brad Scott has made just one change for the clash with young midfielder Elijah Tsatas coming in for veteran Dylan Shiel (managed) The Roos have dropped Darcy Tucker after he went without a disposal last week against Port Adelaide while Paul Curtis (suspension) and George Wardlaw (corkie) are also out In their place comes Finnbar Maley for his debut Sportsbet's Nathan Brown and Kane Cornes preview the game between the Bombers and Kangaroos at Marvel Stadium Essendon v North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium SUBSTITUTESEssendon: Jye MenzieNorth Melbourne: Bailey Scott The teams are in for round eight's Friday and Saturday games Collaboration and creativity were core focuses for Lucas Waddleton (a Tyerrernotepanner student from Northern Tasmania) and Lawson Richards (a non-Indigenous student) when creating Essendon’s 2025 Dreamtime guernsey The duo’s powerful design came to life through Ganbu Gulin (‘One Mob’ in Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung language) a The Long Walk school program delivered at Taylors Lakes Secondary College A key focus of the program is to bring First Nation students together connect students to community and culture and raise awareness across the broader school community the students completed a workshop based on Dreamtime at the G and had the opportunity to design the 2025 Indigenous Guernsey Waddleton and Richards knew they’d relish the opportunity to create something memorable together “It was fun to work on the guernsey together and see it come to life We wanted to create something special that had strong meaning and that’s exactly what we did,” Richards said “When we found out our guernsey design had been chosen Essendon's Indigenous Guernsey will take centre stage during the Sir Doug Nicholls Round (SDNR) of the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season designed by school students Lucas Waddleton and Lawson Richards through The Long Walk program celebrates unity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians the design brings powerful symbolism to life for the Sir Doug Nicholls Round The Bombers will face the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium in Round 10 before participating in the 21st Dreamtime at the ‘G match against Richmond in Round 11 This year's SDNR is particularly significant marking the 10th anniversary of the round being named in honour of Sir Doug Nicholls a milestone that will be acknowledged throughout the celebrations 2025’s design represents the unity of indigenous and non-indigenous people coming together the gum tree signifies a family tree where the circles represent different groups of people who become connected at a gathering place of humans and animals Gum trees and leaves are integral in First Nations Cultures as they are used in Ceremony and for medicinal purposes also a connection point to the Taylors Lakes area where several gum trees grow on Wurundjeri Country the bird footprints symbolise the presence of both animals and nature ultimately showing all walks of life coming together “I’m very proud of Lucas and Lawson and I love their design It’s meaningful and represents what Dreamtime and The Long Walk is all about – unity “It is a wonderful opportunity provided by the Club and the students feel a great sense of pride to represent Essendon FC in such a significant occasion” - Executive GM The Essendon 2025 Dreamtime guernsey is available to purchase here Read the key individual stats from Thursday night’s close win North Melbourne pip Dons by 10 points at Windy Hill Jordan Ridley and Jade Gresham will all miss against Sydney We acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woiwurrung people of the Kulin Nation as the Custodians on whose Country we are based We acknowledge their ongoing connection to Country and pay respect to their Elders We extend that acknowledgement and respect to all First Nations peoples throughout Australia ESSENDON has rested in-form veteran Dylan Shiel for Thursday night's match against North Melbourne while the Kangaroos have dropped Darcy Tucker in one of three changes Shiel cramped late in the Anzac Day loss to Collingwood last Friday and has been managed with young midfielder Elijah Tsatas coming into the side >> KEEP SCROLLING TO SEE THE FULL TEAMS OR CLICK HERE Tucker has been omitted by the Roos after he did not get a touch in the loss to Port Adelaide last week while tagging Power star Connor Rozee The Kangas will also be without in-form forward Paul Curtis (suspension) and key midfielder George Wardlaw (corked thigh) Young tall Finnbar Maley has been named to make his debut while Bailey Scott and Will Phillips have been recalled Check out all the latest trade news from around the League Essendon VFL have made four changes to face North Melbourne at Windy Hill on Friday afternoon Nik Cox and Angus Clarke for their returns from respective injuries exciting inclusions for an emerging outfit looking to improve their record to 3-2 this year Defender Kieran Gallagher (Calder Cannons/Greenvale) has also been named to make his Club debut as the 23rd man The Bombers' Windy Hill fixture marks a first appearance at their spiritual home this season Key talking points from Senior Coach’s post-game presser died on 24 March 2020 after a battle with cancer Jack was aged 95 and the “Essendon family” was greatly saddened such was his standing and significance to the club over almost his entire adult life an absolute gentleman who had a real aura about him yet made everyone around him feel so comfortable in his presence It is impossible to speak about Jack and the particular era in which he played without mention of some of the important personalities surrounding him at Essendon Jack never stopped talking about his legendary teammates Jack was born on 7 November 1924 in Melbourne He grew up as a keen Bomber fan in Ascot Vale he often went to Windy Hill with his father the then 8-year-old Jack saw Essendon’s new recruit play his first game against Footscray at the Western Oval On the eve of his retirement game in the 1950 grand final I still remember my first game with Essendon and I got a shock when the selectors picked me to play against Footscray With about five minutes to play I kicked my first goal Then after all we lost the match… Reynolds was no doubt referring to the practice in those days of players remaining in their positions and not drifting down to the forward line reprinted in The Great Australian Book of Football Stories but little did Jack then know that he would ultimately play his first game for the Dons against the same opponent at the same venue in 1946 He once described himself as an average student who left school at 13 A couple of years later he started an apprenticeship as a butcher The family needed whatever financial support he could provide 18-year-old Jack enlisted to fight in the Second World War Most of the members of the 24th were young men aged between 19 and 24 bloody conflict against the Japanese in New Guinea and later It suffered high casualties; of a total of 803 men Many individual decorations and battalion honours were awarded to members of the 24th It was acknowledged as one of the most competent jungle fighting units in the Australian Army during WW2 he told football journalist Rohan Connolly The bullet or shrapnel didn't have my name on it yet the bloke standing next to you is gone In a very recent interview on 29 February this year with Herald Sun football writer Jack revealed just how lucky he was - in one battle his canteen was hit as it was slung across his hip Jack learnt of the tragic death of his 27-year-old brother at home and he never saw me play league football either but the 24th remained on Bougainville Island Jack was encouraged to drink beer for the first time in his life to celebrate the end of hostilities and he remained a lifelong teetotaller and non-smoker While waiting for their chance to return home Jack and his mates played a fair bit of football and took on other sports to stay fit News of his football skill apparently found its way back to Essendon He finally returned to Melbourne in December 1945 to find a letter from the club inviting him to come to training just at the prospect of meeting and training with his idol Jack had also received similar invitations from the Association as he modestly told the EFC website in April 2017 thinking he would never have been good enough for the Bombers he didn’t have a job and he couldn’t wait to get to Windy Hill that it was a former Essendon player and ex-serviceman who had suggested to the club that they seek Jack’s services there were 6 practice matches before the season started in earnest not to turn up for the early pre-season games because A lot of rats and mice will be there and they’ve got no hope of getting a game He impressed the selectors and was one of only 2 players selected from 100 to join the list He was picked to play in the 1st match of the season Jack was given number 24 to remember his mates from the 24th Battalion his benefactor Les Begley wore the same number The number 24 always reminded him of those who suffered injury or lost their lives in the service of their country It was to remain a significant number for the remainder of his life said he loved that she was born on the 24th and she married on the 24th Perhaps it was no mere coincidence that he ultimately died on the 24th of the month Jack’s captain was the great Dick Reynolds Reynolds was a superstar of the VFL and a living legend he won the club’s best & fairest 3 times the youngest ever in the history of the VFL/AFL He played 320 games and went on to coach the Bombers in 415 games from 1951 to 1960 As Simon Matthews notes in his seminal work on the Champions of Essendon Dick Reynolds is to Essendon Football Club what Don Bradman was to cricket and Phar Lap was to horse racing He was a footballer without peer who captured the imagination of a generation and became an icon at Windy Hill Jack joined some other famous names at the club including established players Bill Hutchison fierce defender Wally Buttsworth and full-forward Bill Brittingham There were other “newcomers” that season who had served in the armed forces and were to become household names at Essendon – half back-flanker Harold Lambert It was a competitive environment as players who had returned from the war fought for selection having been laid low mid-season with malaria from the war and after losing a stone in weight he came back strongly and was a premiership player in his debut year when the team easily beat Melbourne in the grand final Jack started as a reserve and got a run in the last quarter the MCG had been turned over to military use and finals were played at other venues with reduced crowds the G hosted the finals as Melburnians thrived again in a new post-war society stimulated by increasing prosperity expanded government spending on transport and education and renewed immigration Jack played from 1946 until 1954 for a total of 175 games He proudly boasted he never played in the Reserves He played in 7 grand finals over a remarkable 6 consecutive years including twice in 1948 when the team drew with He was a 3-time premiership player in 1946 he demonstrated his resilience by playing 133 consecutive games - still a club record today He won the award for best utility player 4 times was best clubman in 1953 and vice-captain of the State side against a country team in 1951 Jack received many accolades for his football skills and style of play He thrilled the fans with his high-marking long kicking and ability to break into the open Jones had thrilled supporters with his marking open play on the half forward line during his career with the Bombers He was one of the fastest big men in the game who could be dangerous on a half forward flank as well as taking a fair share of the ruck work The three best-known of those champions were They featured prominently during the golden era from 1946 to 1951 there are now only two remaining Essendon players who were premiership teammates of those champions - Harold Lambert Bill Hutchison played a total of 290 games He captained the team from 1951 to 1957 and was a brilliant and courageous rover who developed a formidable partnership with ruck-rover Reynolds He was a fitness fanatic and his training regime was deliberately designed to ensure he did his skill work when fatigued Hutchison was a four-time premiership player a dual Brownlow medallist and 7-time winner of the B&F greatly admired for his sportsmanship and considered an ornament to the game Alf Brown once wrote that long-time club Secretary told him Essendon’s bill for soft drinks during this period was much higher than the club’s account for beer Jack consolidated his position in the team kicked 25 goals and was noted as one of a group of improving players being named best on ground against Fitzroy in the preliminary final the following week in the grand final against Carlton they were 5 points up with 44 seconds to play in the last quarter The Bombers lost the grand final in the last minute by an agonizing single point having had 9 more scoring shots than Carlton it was cold comfort for him as a member of a losing grand final team Close matches against Carlton are well known No Essendon fan will ever forget the 1999 preliminary final 1-point loss to Carlton the VFL/AFL records confirm the stats actually favour the club the Dons have lost to Carlton by 1 point in a total of 5 matches But they have drawn with them on 5 occasions and beaten them by 1 point on 6 occasions – hence after 123 years the Bombers are ahead on that score Jack again played every game and kicked a bag of 5 in the third round against Collingwood The Bombers ended on top of the ladder and were red-hot favourites for the flag The team easily disposed of Melbourne in the 2nd semi-final but the Dees fought their way back into the grand final and the forwards had kicked poorly in a grand final The Bombers posted a miserable 7.27 for the day; 34 scoring shots to Melbourne’s 19 Those with a dark sense of humour may appreciate the story about the team trudging off the field when full-back Cec Ruddell was overheard to say We’ll get another ₤10 next week for the replay the team was well- beaten in the replay by 39 points It was clear from the last two grand finals that the Bombers sorely needed an accurate spearhead - and one was just around the corner John Coleman came to Essendon in 1949 from the Hastings FC where he was already renowned as a goal-kicking machine The intrigue and machinations behind his transfer to the Bombers But it is worth noting that Coleman tried out at Essendon in 1947 and 1948 practice matches but didn’t star because the senior players wouldn’t kick to him and this only changed when the Bombers were roundly criticised in 1948 by Alf Brown in The Herald Doug Ackerly describes the suggestion as a myth and cites Jack Jones stoutly refuting the allegation when interviewed by journalist Michael Stevens from the Herald Sun in June 2002 - That’s bull**** [said Jack] and it was to the detriment of all the senior players at the club there was support for this assertion from none other than Coleman that the senior players would not kick to him at least in the three 1947 matches he played in Coleman played the first match of the 1949 season against Hawthorn The crowd numbers were considerably up as fans waited in anticipation for the match to start Harry Beitzel bounced the ball and within 10 seconds Coleman had his 1st goal from a high chest mark the only others to score goals for the Dons - Jones Hutchison and Leehane - kicked half of that tally between them The Bombers knew they had found their answer to the team’s inaccuracy in front of goal Many fans speak with pride at being able to say they saw Coleman play his 1st match Fifteen-year-old Jack Clarke was one of those Clarke told The Sun that Coleman was.… electrifying He flew over his Hawthorn opponents like a long often without relying on his opponents for support and scored with unerring accuracy or skilful snaps He was a superstar who commanded respect from all fans as the teams changed ends with each quarter it was common for fans from both sides to move with Coleman Coleman was missing for the round 14 clash against St Kilda as he and Hutchison were representing Victoria Jack was the spearhead’s substitute and booted 5 goals in a best on ground performance Coleman continued to pile on the scores as the season went on By the time the team finished the home and away season By the time the Bombers won the 1949 grand final the last in the final minutes of the match as players almost fell over themselves to pass him the ball so he could get his century Jack was named as one of the top players in attack and kicked 2 goals The Bombers crushed the Blues by 73 points a record winning margin which provided sweet revenge for the 1-point loss to Carlton in the grand final two years earlier The 1949 grand final was notable for the crowds Many fans angrily vented their frustration outside the ground and eventually forced the gates open and flooded in police allowed hundreds to sit on the oval This happened for a number of big matches and Jack loved to tell the story of how he tumbled over the boundary line at the G one day and fell into the arms of his own brother who was sitting there watching the game The Bombers only lost 1 game for the season (which was They finished as minor premiers with a record 162% Reynolds broke the League record for the greatest number of games played The Reserves and Thirds won their respective flags they only received ₤4 per match and ₤10 a final Jack was described by Mapplestone as one of a group of stars who would command places in any other team in the League – filling in the odd spots and making big contributions to the team’s life and drive One of those odd spots which Jack filled for that season occurred when he stood in as full forward for Coleman who Coleman and “Hutchy” sent Jack a telegram congratulating him on his 100th game bringing up his 105th goal for the Dons in his century game Dick Reynolds retired and became non-playing coach The 1950 premiership flag was unfurled before the 1st game of the season at Essendon by the Governor from ₤4 to ₤5 per game – hardly the stuff of the million-dollar earners today Eighteen-year-old Jack Clarke played his first 6 games with the Seniors who had come out of retirement to be 20th man Coleman was sensationally suspended by the Tribunal for 4 weeks for striking Harry Caspar of Carlton in the last round of the season The story behind that incident and the outrage felt by the fans must also await another time Jones played well in the 2 finals leading up to the grand final particularly against Collingwood in the preliminary final the Bombers were 5 points down when Jack swooped on the ball in time on and kicked the winning goal thus ensuring safe passage to the grand final and the Dons went down to Geelong by 11 points especially as the departure of some experienced players saw the arrival of a number of new young faces After 6 consecutive years of playing in the grand final “Hutchy” was joint winner of the Brownlow in 1953 (initially he was beaten on a count back but the League agreed to a rule change in 1989) Coleman won the League goal kicking both years with 103 goals in 1952 (31 kicked in last the 3 games of the year) and 97 the next These were amazing achievements when players were working in extremely wet conditions and grounds were often quagmires Jack spent more time in the ruck or defence in 1953 The start to the 1954 year was a challenging one for Jack in the round 8 match against North Melbourne at Windy Hill on 5 June Coleman badly dislocated his knee after marking a simple pass from Jack Clarke It was the end of his career as a footballer Jack was near to Coleman at the time and often told the story of that incident It was Jones who might have taken the mark for which Coleman a week after kicking a club record 14 goals "I heard the voice behind me saying: 'Mine He was the field marshal of the forward line I honestly don't think we saw the best of him It is clear that Jack had tremendous respect for Coleman the name always spoken in a reverential tone It wasn’t just that Coleman was such a champion; not just that he kicked 537 goals in only 98 games for an average of 5.47 goals per match.26 the highest goalkicker in the history of the VFL/AFL Coleman was outshone by Peter Hudson who has the league record for the highest average number of goals per match a case where the pulse would quicken when the mid-fielders got the ball to Coleman and all in the Reynolds stand would stamp their feet on the floorboards in anticipation who so often gave the ball to his spearhead Jack told Hanlon his teammates thought Coleman was the best thing since sliced bread Jack retired at the end of the 1954 season He was offered the chance to coach the Essendon Reserves in 1955 where he lived with his wife Mary and growing family He starred as playing coach of the Albury Tigers FC for 3 years he was named captain of its Team of the Century and admitted to the Ovens and Murray league Hall of Fame Jack ultimately returned to Essendon in the late 1950s and essentially He continued to give the club wonderful service as a match day ambassador for sponsors and guests mentoring young players and touring groups through the Hall of Fame He was the repository and storyteller of so much history at the Essendon Football Club Gentleman Jack - always impeccably dressed with a straight bearing and a beaming smile He always made you feel welcome and special because Jack and a couple of other ex-servicemen had suffered significant interruptions to their careers due to war and active service Jack was inducted into the Essendon Hall of Fame and the club established the Jack Jones Academy a development program for all 1st to 3rd year players Michael Hurley and Cale Hooker are notable graduates The aim is to fast-track players and help them in an understanding of club culture and in their development off the field Jack played an instrumental role in supporting the establishment of the academy and instilled into its participants his passion for Essendon and the game more generally Jack was named as the Comeback Hero for the Anzac Day match he toured the Shrine of Remembrance with new recruits and established members and coaches of the team He spoke about the ANZAC lessons of self-sacrifice mateship and work ethic – all essential qualities for football success it was a humbling moment that put life into perspective I will conclude by mentioning three particular stories about Jack each of which reflects on his outstanding character Jack and Mary came to morning tea at Government House with my wife I told Jack it was to be a relaxed morning just between the four of us and not to worry about wearing a tie Gentleman Jack turned up looking handsome and resplendent in a beautiful suit and tie (not to be outdone Jack and Mary were fascinated with all the stories about the history of Government House and its previous occupants They loved having their photo taken in front of Brian Dunlop’s 1984 portrait of the Queen painted to celebrate Victoria’s 150th anniversary and with the Governor in the famous Ballroom Jack told me he felt very proud to be a Victorian I had the honour of speaking about Jack and Ken Fraser who were the honoured guests at The Dons lunch hosted by Russ Fynmore and convened by Michael Richards Jack and Ken enthusiastically contributed to the lively discussion around the table about their Essendon days Everyone loved it when Jack (modestly) told the story of nearly intervening and taking the mark which ultimately led to Coleman’s terminal injury Although I thought he was in a fair bit of discomfort Jack always looked on the bright side of life Mark Robinson interviewed Jack about 4 weeks before he died The journalist concluded his interview by asking Jack to say what he thought was the greatest thing he had learnt in life My father taught me to treat others how you’d like to be treated yourself because in the telling of them and in the listening to them we open our souls to wisdom which may help us discern where we are in the world Jack’s is the story of a true Essendon hero The picture emerges of a humble and modest man who has inspired others to great things and great achievements in life Jack was fortunate to have been part of 3 premiership teams I think Jack’s story helps us to discern where we are in the world his children and to the many other extended family members on their loss Next time you’re watching Sarah Jones on Fox Footy Pop was born in the Bomber’s heartland and he leaves us in Bombers’ hearts Essendon welcome Lachlan Walker to the AFLW coaching panel Have you ever heard someone say that neither team deserved to lose a game I kind of felt the opposite about this one – I am not sure either team really deserved to win I am a bit grumpy at what I sat through on this Thursday night when the kids have to get up for school the next day To say I came away unimpressed with either team would be an understatement my knives were being sharpened for the Kangaroos with fumbles and poor decisions from many of their leaders “highlighting” their game and with the Bombers doing just enough to win by three points I started to wonder what the hell they were doing but this is a game they should have used to build their season they were holding on by the skin of their teeth in the last quarter They’d just managed to beat the Eagles by a couple of points two weeks ago they’ve fallen over the line against North… they’re not convincing me of anything positive Essendon managed to kick just three goals for the game against a pretty ordinary defence that had been conceding over 130 points per game in their last three weeks and I am sure an intro like this will mean none of you will sign up as members on this site to read what I have to say about it I would much rather be honest about a poor win than blow smoke up your backsides and pretend there were huge positives to take out of this game other than Zach Merrett I am probably more inclined to offer the ugly truth… along with some pretty poor grammar enough time wasting – time to find out a little more about what went down The Mongrel has The Big Questions from this one HB writes 8-9 members columns every week during the season Four in-depth game reviews that stay locked and four or five standalone columns for the people that help keep the lights on Jump on board now and grab a mongrel membership to support the site and access the content that makes people happy to be Mongrel Members (Use Cropper to set image and use mouse scroller for zoom image.) I am suck of writing it.” That is not an error The Kangaroos did nothing but hurt themselves and still could have won – before the last two minutes and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" This is probably not the page you’re looking for You can now click/tap WATCH to start the live stream You can now click/tap LISTEN to start the live stream You can now click/tap LATEST NEWS to start the live stream Essendon football boss Dan McPherson has provided a comprehensive update on a night of injury carnage for the club The Bombers snuck over the line by three points against North Melbourne but are counting the cost after Harrison Jones Jordan Ridley and Jade Gresham all sustained respective blows Press PLAY to hear Dan McPherson’s FULL update on 3AW Football after the game Press PLAY to hear Laura Spurway’s FULL wrap of the game from Marvel Stadium Archie Perkins admits Essendon ‘got away with one’ in tight victory over North Melbourne The video you are trying to watch no longer exists or has expired. Please select a video to watch from the collection below Two of the biggest rivals of the 90s meet on Thursday night footy at Marvel with Essendon taking on North Melbourne These are two very inconsistent teams but on thing that remains consistent is North playing in shootouts Seven of the Roos’ last eight games have gone over with their average total in their 2025 games sitting at an enormous 202 Alastair Clarkson’s team have made some good strides offensively giving up 114 points on average this season – ranked 17th The Dons were a bottom four team for defence last year and have improved that ranking slightly this year but they are still giving up 91 a game in 2025 Marvel has again been a high-scoring venue in 2025 with nine of twelve games at the venue clearing the total with North’s four games averaging 199 points The Roos look a good bet with a near three goal start with Essendon failing to cover the line in ten straight games as favourites Kyle Langford is averaging 2.4 goals per game in his last five against North kicking 2+ in four of his last five against them expect Zane Duursma to get a full game in the Roos’ forward line after being sub for two of his last three games He kicked 2.1 in his full game against the Suns Betseeker’s expert tipsters have you covered for the best AFL tips The weekend concludes with the biggest Q-Clash yet with Brisbane taking on Gold Coast at the Gabba In between two ripping derbies on Sunday sits this stinker between fourth-placed Hawthorn and 16th placed Richmond The first Sydney derby of 2025 sees the Giants comfortable favourites to beat the Swans at the SCG Our expert team is made up of experienced professional punters we have more than three decades of industry experience with major bookies including TAB Learn more about Betseeker If gambling is a problem for you, call Gambling Help on 1800 858 858 or visit www.gamblinghelponline.org.au Betseeker is strongly committed to responsible gambling and wants gambling to be a fun recreational activity Read our practical tips to keep your gambling safe here Betseeker content is provided for entertainment and informational purposes only No responsibility is taken for the accuracy of betting information provided You are encouraged to do your own research prior to placing any bets All odds and information provided are subject to change Betseeker has no relationship with any of the sporting bodies listed on this website or any other platforms The Footy Almanac That was a real grind but four points is four points We presently sit outside the eight on percentage with four wins and a game in hand – possibly a much better position than many pundits expected us to be at this time of the season but the Bombers continue to hang in there I must admit those last few seconds brought about a sense of déjà vu of once again being pipped at the post– a far too common occurrence over the past few seasons Undoubtably the win came down to one player – Zach Merrett In particular his last quarter was sensational mainly spent in the back half directing traffic and keeping the game under Essendon’s control If we only two or three more Zach Merrett’s we’d be a force to be reckoned with Peter Wright was also an integral player in the last quarter taking many telling marks by being in the right position at the right time He certainly is making his presence felt now he is fit and back in the team we suffered another possible season ending injury with Harrison Jones going down with a serious ankle injury Three players in four weeks receiving major injuries places immense pressure on the team With Jordan Ridley sidelined once again with a leg injury Gresham and Hobbs also possible outs for next week opens up opportunities for the younger players to get a crack at the big time For the first time in some while we had an excellent start to the game kicking six goals to two Archie Perkins kicked three goals and looked as if he may have a day out and dominating in that quarter – and we were kicking straight Everything was clicking and coming together After quarter-time we kicked three goals ten for the remainder of the match with players such as Peter Wright missing shots on goal they would normally swallow We probably had a chance to bury North in that second quarter but those easy misses kept them in the game North certainly applied more pressure in the remaining three quarters by beginning to outrun the Bombers as they gained momentum Essendon seem to struggle against the so-called lowly teams The Bombers just don’t switch on fully when they should against such teams Next Saturday against Sydney will be a real test of character for the Bombers with so many injuries Dire circumstances often call for drastic responses and provide an opportunity to blood new players More from Col Ritchie can be read Here To return to the www.footyalmanac.com.au  home page click HERE The opinions expressed in their articles are their own Retired teacher who enjoys following the Bombers Sign up for your weekly Almanac eNewsletter here VISIT OUR ONLINE STORE Copyright © 2025 · The Footy Almanac - Web Hosting by DISKMANdotNet Return to top of page THE SON of a two-time premiership hero is set to give Essendon an enormous boost in what is set to be 'the most compromised draft ever' in two years. Koby Bewick, the son of 1993 and 2000 Bombers premiership player Darren, looms as one of the leading players in the 2027 National Draft. The 16-year-old starred for Vic Metro in a trial game last weekend, finishing with 29 possessions, eight marks, five clearances, five inside 50s and a goal. AFL.com.au's trade and draft expert Cal Twomey says the 2027 draft is set to be "the most compromised ever" due to the concessions expected to be given to the Tasmanian Devils, who are scheduled to enter the competition in 2028. It means while most clubs will miss out on top-end talent in that draft, the Bombers are set to have access to Bewick under the father-son rule. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Gettable (@gettable) "I think what we're seeing so far is he's a really exciting talent," Twomey said on Gettable "This is looming as a very big bonus for the Bombers "The best thing for Essendon (is) if Tasmania comes into the draft in 2027 their access to one of the best players – at this point – is looking untouched "They can still get a good player in a draft that is going to be the most compromised ever because he's looking like a pretty good player." The potential arrival of Bewick could cap off an exciting run at the draft for the Bombers who got priority access to small forward Isaac Kako last year because he was part of their Next Generation Academy The club will also have special access to two more NGA players The NGA system will be changed as part of Tasmania's entry into the competition, with the AFL having canvassed clubs about re-zoning and eligibility rule changes they would like to see implemented. Significant changes to the Academy and father-son bidding points system, which were announced by the AFL last August Inside Trading reported this week that the AFL will start meeting with clubs this week where the Tasmanian list concession package will be on the agenda Last month, AFL.com.au revealed the proposed Tasmanian list rules which will include approximately 10 first-round picks over three drafts Max Gawn has been praised by coach Simon Goodwin after the Demons' strong win over the Tigers 1 – TALKS OF ESSENDON’S INJURY WOES WERE OVERHYPED I read with interest during the week about the so-called “injury hit” Bombers I was expecting to see a long list of names The first name that stood out to me was Jye Caldwell with a hamstring their number one ruckman is gone for the season now which isn’t ideal they’re basically missing four senior players including one through suspension and that puts them in the category of injury-hit Let’s compare that to some other teams shall we The Blues have no less than six senior players currently on the sidelines and you could make that seven if you add this year’s number three pick Jagga Smith Even Collingwood have six recognised players on their injury list right now and they’re flying Fremantle have a whopping nine players who have played senior football out of action which could explain why the Dockers were soundly beaten by the Saints Interestingly the two bottom teams seemingly have the healthiest lists in the competition would you believe North losing Paul Curtis to that ridiculous ruling on his tackle hurt them He’s been in good touch and might’ve made a difference to that three point result Just don’t tell me that the Bombers’ injury problems are that significant Now that I’ve addressed that little bugbear of mine You’d have to imagine that at quarter time Both sides could only manage one goal each in the second term and anybody who watched that quarter might want their time back Essendon went into the half time break ahead by 25 points and looked like coasting to a comfortable win but the third quarter saw the Kangaroos reduce that margin down to just one point before we had to endure another painful final term with just two goals scored for what was one of the more boring contests ever decided by under a goal Zach Merrett looks set for more Brownlow votes with his 35 possession game while Perkins topped the scoring with 3 majors We’re still sweating on Nate Caddy to have that breakout performance Another 2.3 mirroring his previous effort The Swans come to Melbourne to play the Bombers next week because they continue to miss their chances when they come I do feel sorry for their supporters who must be beside themselves when they lose close matches To think that they were able to keep the Bombers to just three goals after quarter time and still lose is mindblowing it’s a little hard to be too harsh on the debutante Maley who took a mark 40m out late in the game but missed out on scoring goal that would’ve put his team ahead Harry Sheezel starred yet again with another 30+ game while Davies-Uniacke was good with 28 Larkey and Simpkin all kicked two each while Tristan Xerri dominated the ruck contest over former Kangaroo Todd Goldstein Where is North Melbourne’s next win coming from My crystal ball says it might be Round 10 Unless they’ve completely forgotten how to win PUT ÉM ON A PLANE AND THEY’RE LIKE PLAY-DOH but it was only a week ago that this team took on a fairly competent Adelaide Crows and won quite easily in front of their parochial and adoring W.A they dismantled the Crows for the first three quarters and looked like the finals aspirant many believed they were in the lead-up to this season They also came up against a team who had just come off three-straight losses by an average of 48 points A win here would have made them 5-3 and in the top eight But an all too familiar tale of the travelling blues meant it wasn’t to be I daresay Ross Lyon knew that shutting down the midfield pair of Brayshaw and Serong was the key to victory When was the last time you saw these two both get less than 20 touches and keeping those two quiet resulted in the Dockers only scoring a paltry 5.3 from just 34 forward 50 entries The Saints’ pressure was relentless forcing the Dockers to make error after error Nine Fremantle players had less than ten touches including prize recruit Shal Bolton with just seven for the game Just two players had more than 20 touches in Luke Ryan (24) and Matthew Johnson (21) the less said about Fremantle’s performance in this game They’ve played in Melbourne three times this year and have lost them all including handing Melbourne their first win after five losses to start the season Fremantle host Collingwood in Perth this coming Thursday particularly down the Western End not far from Marvel Stadium you get to a lot more games and also get to see a lot of football fans heading to and from games of football I was unfortunate enough to attend St Kilda’s horrible loss to the Bulldogs in Round 6 I was out and about following St Kilda’s big loss to the Lions last week I saw a lot of very quiet Saints fans sporting long faces with that look of resignation that comes with the knowledge that another year is wasted I missed out on seeing the crowds after this affair but I’m sure I would’ve seen a much happier looking bunch donning the red They would’ve enjoyed Cooper Sharman’s game He finished with four goals and Mitch Owens was good again with three Former Dog Macrae was outstanding with 38 touches while Wanganeen-Milera continued his great season with 28 St Kilda were all over the Dockers from beginning to end But where has this been for the last three weeks They’ll need to bring this back and then some when they play Carlton next week 3 – PORT ADELAIDE WON’T BE BACK IN BALLARAT ANY TIME SOON If you aren’t from Victoria you’ve probably never been to Ballarat One thing about this place is that it can get pretty darn cold up there imagine playing at Mars Stadium for the very first time Ballarat is just 110 kilometres from downtown Melbourne but if you think that they experience the same sort of weather that you’ll see in Melbourne It’s almost a given that whatever Melbourne’s maximum temperature is you can take it for granted that it will be anywhere from two to five degrees lower making conditions really tricky for a visiting team to acclimatise well enough to play their best football Conditions were tame by Ballarat standards but it was clear that one end was heavily favoured when it came to scoring it was the end that the Bulldogs were kicking to I’m clearly being way too kind to Port Adelaide they’ve ventured into Victoria and been belted by 15 goals I’m not sure why their best can demolish the Hawks while their worst sees them being blown off the park in embarrassing fashion but this is where they find themselves now They had 110 fewer disposals and looked lost after quarter time Even with the midfield trio getting a fair share of possessions with Rozee (29) but his direct opponent had a field day kicking  gthreeoals from 27 touches This isn’t the formline they’d want coming into a showdown next week After their two losses to Fremantle in Brisbane in Rounds 4 and 5 they’ve now won their past three games by an average of over ten goals and have an average score of 127 Funnily enough that also coincides with the return of Marcus Bontompelli We know what a true champion the Bulldogs skipper is and it’s only three weeks of great football but right now they’re playing as well as any team Once again the goalkicking duties were shared around with the top scorers in Naughton English and Bontompelli all kicking three while Dale and Richards had 31 and 30 disposals respectively forgotten man Adam Treloar played his first game for the year and showed no signs of rustiness with 27 touches but they do face a big challenge taking on the Suns on the Gold Coast next week 4 – CARLTON ARE OFFICIALLY ADELAIDE’S BUNNY Some sides just have it over certain teams and I’m now becoming fully convinced that the Crows have got Carlton’s measure You need to go back 15 years since the Blues had a win over the Crows in front of a hostile S.A Chris Judd was in his Brownlow year and Blues fans can only shake their heads at the unrealised potential of a bloke called Chris Yarran who was in his prime Carlton have only played the Crows in Adelaide a total of four times since their last win for some strange reason but those four times have seen them go down by an average of 50 points Adelaide have beaten Carlton ten times and only lost on three occasions The Crows also have formed a habit of ending Carlton’s winning streaks as well This was a comprehensive thumping in every department Even without the likes of Crouch and Hinge in the side the midfield battle was as one-sided as any with the normally contested ball beasts at Carlton lowering their colours to the tune of 30+ less than the home side If not for the efforts of Cripps (24 disposals and 2 goals) and Weitering in defence After such a spirited win against Geelong the previous week Blues fans will lament this loss on the back of four losses to start the year They must bounce back to regain any credibility against the Saints next Friday but two consecutive six day breaks may be a factor It’s hard to know whether Adelaide were really good or if Carlton were really awful but I’m sure even the Crows players would’ve been confused by the ease with which they took a ridiculous number of marks inside 50 or by their clearance numbers I’m starting to think Dawson salivates at the idea of playing Carlton He dominated yet again with three goals from 22 touches while Izak Rankine did as he pleased kicking 2 goals from 29 Walker and Thilthorpe only combining for four goals between them there were plenty of other Crows hitting the scoreboard The question is whether or not they can sustain this kind of form enough to play finals Next week’s showdown against Port Adelaide is a game they could and must win 5 – THE FOOTY GODS FINALLY GO AGAINST THE PIES When Jack Bowes kicked a goal in the 28th minute of the final term the Cats looked home with a lead of 17 points with a few minutes remaining on the clock In what must have seemed an agonisingly long last quarter for Geelong fans Brody Mihocek hit the scoreboard twice in the 33rd and 36th minute after the second goal was scored there was just 20 seconds remaining The unthinkable happened when Jack Crisp took a mark 45m out and the football world held its collective breath in the belief that Collingwood would once again pinch a victory from nowhere it wasn’t meant to be as Crisp’s kick after the siren sailed a long way right of the target handing Geelong a very handy win Crisp was playing in his record-breaking 245th consecutive game so it seemed as though a fairytale was emerging but the Pies have been to the well aplenty when it comes to snatching wins and the Cats probably deserved that win after what was a great fourth quarter effort while Dangerfield was herculean in his efforts to drag his team across the line with 29 touches and a goal The only multiple goal scorers for the Cats were Mannagh It was a game that could’ve gone either way and the Cats did find themselves 20 points down midway through the third term but they worked hard knowing that a loss would put them in a precarious position with respect to finals aspirations The Giants head down to Geelong next week knowing they’ve beaten the Cats on their home deck the last three times they played there Hopefully the footy gods pay the Cats another visit Collingwood led for much of this game but the Cats continually kept coming It would’ve been a weird feeling for some of the players walking off the ground with a loss The Daicos brothers had 60 touches between them The veterans in Pendlebury and Sidebottom had 26 and 25 touches Darcy Cameron is making his mark as more than just a ruckman with 23 touches and a goal Mihocek was good kicking four goals including those final two that almost helped his side to a win but they can put this one down as a “you can’t win them all” kind of scenario They have a testing game this Thursday against the Dockers in Perth The Dockers will be determined to improve on that dismal showing against the Saints and they always play markedly better at home and two losses in a row would undo a lot of the great work the Pies have done so far in 2025 6 – THE WEST COAST EAGLES ARE WELL AND TRULY GAWN Not only is it highly unusual to see a ruckman finish with 35 touches and a goal one could’ve been forgiven for thinking that there were signs that Max was heading down a slightly declining path after a terrific career That’s all changed in his last three games and he’s just managed to pull off career best numbers in a dominating performance that would’ve been a major reason why the Demons took the points in what was a danger game and now find themselves with some chance of still making the eight And let’s not forget that Max also had 47 hitouts Other good players for Melbourne included Petracca with 29 touches and a goal Chandler had 26 touches and also kicked a goal while the top scorer for Melbourne was Turner with three Melbourne may find it difficult to pick up a fourth consecutive win against the Hawks next week The Eagles were in the game until midway through the third quarter but then the Demons put on six unanswered goals to put the game out of their reach It’s these kinds of lapses that would no doubt drive McQualter and his crew crazy Maric once again topped the possession count with 26 while Liam Baker was also prominent with 24 Jake Waterman is working his way back to his best finishing with 3.2 for the day while Elijah Hewett also kicked three The Eagles head to Melbourne to play the Tigers next week but not when the likes of Tim Kelly have just 14 touches and the much hyped Harley Reid has just 13 These two in particular need to lift their numbers in order for the Eagles to even consider a victory 7 – THE GIANTS WERE OVERRATED PRE-SEASON I must say that I found it odd that the pundits were putting the Giants in the top bracket of premiership contenders before a ball had been bounced in anger Their lacklustre finals showing in 2024 had me thinking they lacked something required to go all the way but now they’ve dropped their last three and look anything like what a flag favourite should look like The Adelaide game showed an indirect style of play that resulted in a low score on that day but the next two weeks are just as alarming when you consider that they lost both games after having considerably more possession than their opponents Against the Bulldogs they had 42 more touches This tells me there’s something wrong with their ball movement The Swans took full toll of the slow-starting Giants kicking the first five goals of the game the Swans led for the entirety of the game and were deserving winners Chad Warner was adjudged best on ground with 24 possessions James Jordon was given the job of curtailing the influence of Whitfield and although his opponent got 28 touches for the match kicked two vital goals for the Swans late in the game to keep the Giants out of contention Jordon was the only multiple goal scorer for Sydney Sydney still have a mountain to climb in order to play finals but if they can overcome the Bombers next week then they’ll be well and truly alive in 2025 The Giants have seemingly lost their way for the moment at least Their forward group isn’t firing right now not helped by the inaccuracy of Hogan and Jones who both could only manage 1.3 apiece Stringer came on as the substitute after half time and finally found his kicking boots finishing with 3 goals straight while Aaron Cadman showed some promise early with two goals If I was in any way connected to the coaching at the club I’d be analysing these last three losses and addressing the issue of indirect play and wasteful movement Most teams now love teams who go sideways because they’ll intercept closer to goal than normal But they’re the experts so I’m guessing Adam Kingsley knows better and the chance of a fourth loss in a row looms large If you see the Giants playing in a more direct fashion next week you can put it down to Adam Kingsley reading this article 8 – IT’S SAD THAT MOST CLUBS WOULD OVERLOOK A 170CM NICK WATSON you would no doubt be aware that Nick Watson is a major part of their forward line and seems the type of player that inspires his teammates He’s kicked 12 goals and scored a goal in every game except one He’s a tackling machine and lightning fast He was drafted with Hawthorn’s first pick at number 5 in the 2024 draft so it’s a credit to the club that they backed him in He’s now kicked 37 goals from 26 games and is fast becoming the premier small forward of the competition I still imagine that some clubs would opt against drafting somebody of his stature but he’s clearly a strong advocate for the short guy wanting to break into the AFL The Hawks made light work of the Tigers in predictable fashion The Tigers were well below the class of Hawthorn who picked them apart mercilessly and ran out 65 point winners in a very one-sided affair I’m still confounded by Jack Gunston who is now on 20 goals for the season after another three majors in this game Watson also booted 3 goals from just 10 touches making the most of his opportunities Josh Battle is definitely enjoying his move to Hawthorn He topped the possession count with 33 while fellow defender Jiath made a welcome return to the team with 32 touches Marcus D’Ámbrosio was red hot with 30 touches and two goals for the match The Hawks should be too good for the Dees next week 9 – BRISBANE SHOW GOLD COAST THAT THEY’RE NOT QUITE THERE YET This was one of those games where the final margin doesn’t truly reflect what took place on the field the Lions put the Suns to the sword for much of the game and seemed way ahead of their local rivals With just 4 goals on the board at three quarter time trailing by 34 points yes the Suns were better in the final quarter kicking 3.2 to just 3 behinds but it was obvious that Brisbane had more tricks up their sleeve And it’s one thing when Will Ashcroft has 34 possessions and dominates but lo and behold you have his younger brother getting 29 touches in just his sixth game of AFL football You’d be loving the father-son rule if you’re a Lions fan right now Callum Ah Chee booted three goals in another solid outing while Charlie Cameron also booted three in a welcome return to form Brisbane now find themselves a game clear on top of the AFL ladder after what was a successful yet indifferent start to the season and they should win big against the Kangaroos next round There was a lot of hype around Gold Coast after they’d won their first four games The loss to Richmond may have revealed a little more than we wanted to see and this loss tells me that they are still a fair way off from giving the flag a genuine shake Their wins have all been against sides who haven’t been top bracket teams then maybe we can start taking them seriously Ben King still has a three-goal lead in the Coleman race after adding one more this week Miller and Anderson were busy with 29 and 27 touches but I need to pull that back as I think we won’t really know if they’re anything remotely resembling a finalist until they can beat some of the better teams in the competition And it could start from next week when they play the Bulldogs This seasons knee jerk by the AFL misministration to ‘soften’ the tackle will need to re-learn how to hold the tackle Nik Cox and first-year defender Angus Clarke via the VFL this week Guelfi has recovered from hamstring surgery back in February while Cox has overcome a recent minor calf complaint following a pre-season largely disrupted by concussion symptoms Clarke will join the pair when the Dons’ VFL outfit take on North Melbourne at Windy Hill on Friday afternoon having recovered from a broken collarbone suffered at the end of March Midfielder Jye Caldwell has progressed back into full training after an early season hamstring strain and is eyeing off a return to play in next week’s clash with Sydney Fellow midfielder Darcy Parish is also closing in on a return to play in the coming weeks Nick Bryan and Tom Edwards are all now in the early stages of post-operative recovery having each undergone successful surgeries following recent season-ending injuries Inexperienced Bombers provide good signs in defeat to Collingwood KEVIN Sheedy was pottering around his garden in late 1994 when he remembered a seed that was planted at the MCG almost two decades earlier The second-biggest home and away crowd at the time had turned up on Anzac Day in 1977 to watch Collingwood play his Richmond near the end of his playing days Nothing had really come close to that event since Football hadn't been played on Anzac Day until 1960 after an Act of Parliament lifted restrictions fixtures on April 25 bounced around suburban VFL grounds withering on the vine until Sheedy intervened Sheedy was a three-time premiership coach at Essendon after playing in three flags for Richmond across his 251-game career in yellow and black He was regarded as a visionary and when then-Bombers president Ron Evans sent him to Florida in the early 1990s to study an innovation course at Disney World Sheedy came back with ideas to build the game by building bigger games Dreamtime at the 'G would eventually launch in 2005 to celebrate the contribution of Indigenous people in the game The Country Game would arrive 10 years later But with the trip to America fuelling his creativity and the clear memory of 92,436 people cramming into the MCG in 1977 Sheedy picked up the phone in his office at Windy Hill to call Graeme 'Gubby' Allan who was Collingwood's football manager at the time Allan had a relationship with RSL president Bruce Ruxton and arranged a meeting days later with Sheedy Collingwood present Allan McAlister and Essendon president David Shaw at the Hilton Hotel Sheedy had a deep appreciation for soldiers after being drafted into the army in 1969 where he spent two years in a construction squadron during his time playing for Richmond The panel take a look at Essendon's ruck issues and reflect on the best Anzac Day games between the Magpies and Bombers "Most people think I'm a pretty radical person I went overseas and had a look around at what other sports were doing and how they were creating bigger games and inventing ideas because we were a very conservative place in Australia but we got it up and running," Sheedy told AFL.com.au this week "Gubby was the No.1 person involved to get Collingwood to the table I got David Shaw and that's how it got going There was only about 8,000 people turned up at the Shrine one morning on Anzac Day and I thought that wasn't on He asked me what the suggestion was and I said I think we can play a game on that day He wanted to know what the AFL thought because they weren't dancing with each other at that time mainly because of the time slot of the game versus how much time after the march They were slightly not happy with each other "A lot of people need to thank Bruce Ruxton for saying yes The whole deal in the end was the AFL owned the draw but Bruce had to say yes because the returned soldiers are the important people of Anzac Day It's about really thanking the defence forces of Australia which is where me spending some time in the army helped." Friday marks the 30th anniversary of the inaugural Essendon v Collingwood Anzac Day fixture which quickly became – and has remained – the biggest game on the home and away fixture attracting more than 90,000 fans on 10 occasions and a crowd in the 80,000s 14 times Only once has the crowd been below that when the capacity wasn't reduced for the Commonwealth Games redevelopment or the COVID-19 pandemic Sheedy and then-Collingwood coach Leigh Matthews didn't know what to expect ahead of the 1995 fixture but they didn't think 94,825 people – the second-largest crowd behind the 95,179 in 2023 – would arrive that day which is the third-highest home and away crowd ever caused chaos outside the ground with cars backed up for kilometres Many players were late to the pre-game meetings who had been watching the reserves game at Victoria Park before being a late inclusion for the blockbuster a few kilometres down the road at the MCG "All the players were late to the team meetings," Sheedy said "There wasn't much strategy going on before the game because every car was lined up trying to get to the MCG We had phone calls coming in from everywhere Most of the hard work is done during the week anyway and the team meeting is a bit of a top up The first Anzac Day clash between the Bombers and the Magpies ended in a famous draw Collingwood full forward Saverio Rocca was retrospectively awarded the first Anzac Day Medal after kicking nine goals in a game that ended 111-111 A best on ground medal has been awarded since 2000 the AFL recognised the first five recipients with medals Scott Pendlebury and James Hird are both three-time winners The first edition of the now traditional Anzac Day match between the Magpies and Bombers had 94,825 fans witness a remarkable draw Sheedy played eight games for the 'Big V' during his playing career and coached Victoria four times back when State of Origin was at its pinnacle but the Australian Football Hall of Fame legend believes Anzac Day is a more momentous occasion "It's bigger than State of Origin," he said "because some players turn up on Anzac Day and produce remarkable performances from inexperienced players like Mark McGough." Now more than 50 years on since that game in 1977 which was Tom Hafey's first game as coach for Collingwood against Richmond Sheedy pinpoints that day as the stimulus for the modern-day Anzac Day blockbuster It always stuck with me and so it should because it showed this had something but you can't say that I'm going to coach and find an idea down the track." Sheedy finished his coaching journey at Greater Western Sydney in 2013 after 678 games in charge for the Bombers and Giants – the third most behind Mick Malthouse (718) and Jock McHale (713) finishing with a fourth premiership in 2000 Thirty years after building a tradition built around a famous date Sheedy is still tending to his garden and still as passionate as ever about growing the game The Monday Knee Jerk Reaction: Round Eight 14 Comments Footy is a passion spread sheet dominated rational exercise.  this was about as enjoyable as making small talk with that guy from corporate strategy who wants to tell you about a conference he just got back from “It’s amazing what’s happening with AI.” unless you’re talking about Allen Iverson I couldn’t be less interested.” and it looked like another shellacking for the Kangaroos until the Bombers adopted a strategy of injuring a fair chunk of their players Harrison Jones had the worst of it with an ankle injury that had those up close in the crowd looking like they needed counselling The second half was a disaster for the Bombers they kicked just two goals to the Kangaroos six you’d come away from that not exactly brimming with confidence If you want to ensure you get my columns every week, the best way is to sign up for the email. Like people who find comfort in True Crime podcasts Dockers fans must feel most comfortable when experiencing high levels of trauma It’s the only thing that explains their ongoing loyalty the Dockers produced the footballing equivalent of the Coalition’s election campaign The Dockers managed only one goal to half time as a Ross Lyon masterclass in taking away an opponent’s strength unfolded Rather than push through the chokehold the Saints had them in Fremantle seemed to decide it was all too hard This is not a team of superstars or a superstar team but they’re getting everything out of this group Western Bulldogs (131) v Port Adelaide (41) the Bulldogs have had less luck than me in a nightclub they haven’t fallen apart over it and cried themselves to sleep at night listening to The Smiths they’ve pulled themselves together and are winning the Doggies relished the cold and windy conditions while the Power accidentally went to Marvel Stadium but it’s the way you lose that upsets you and the Power seem to be going out of their way to upset their fans.  the Power were also not interested in defending which smart football types will tell you is a bad combination they were like a bunch of kids at the old Pizza Hut all you can eat desert bars Every year Carlton builds up their fans hopes It’s like watching kids building sandcastles and knocking them down but with less coordination After a brilliant performance against the Cats but Carlton was quick to remind them of how rarely they can do it the Blues players looked like a team resting on the laurels The problem is how few laurels they seem to need to rest on but many teams would take a level of belief from that they jumped them early and never let them get back up I had to wonder just where the Carlton players were If you’d told me they only had ten players on the field more interesting and historically more important than the Federal Election the Cats v Pies was also more successful for third parties with the umpires holding the balance of power It was certainly the best game we’ve had this season as two of the top sides went at it in a reminder that football at its best is the pinnacle of human achievement with his record-setting 245th consecutive game and almost won it for the Pies with a kick after the siren which went wide Obviously those 245 consecutive games mean nothing now The night was the perfect stage for the big stars the other Daicos and Patrick Dangerfield all seemed to lift for the big occasion Pendlebury and Dangerfield seem to be beating not just their opponents but Father Time too Geelong won because they kept their heads when it mattered but if you’re talking to a Pies supporter Last year the Eagles won this match up and it looked like they were finally turning a corner that corner seems to have turned into another dead end This is their worst ever start to the season.  West Coast in the AFL is like watching a Corolla give Formula 1 a go The fact Melbourne aren’t that good kept this close early but eventually Max Gawn got sick of this state of affairs and dragged Melbourne ahead of the Eagles Gawn smashed the living daylights out of the Eagles at stoppages and gathered the ball like a midfielder the rest of the time but they have Hawthorn next week in a reminder that we all must return to reality eventually Sydney needed this win like you need a souvlaki after a big night out And there’s no love lost between these two due to some things that have happened that I’m unaware of because the Melbourne media don’t really cover these two There was a bit of feeling in this one and the first quarter saw lots of pushing and shoving and acting tough Lewis Melican though decided it was a good idea to go a bit further he could get as many weeks as someone laying a tackle Perhaps the big difference was James Jordon who tagged Lachie Whitfield and kicked two goals Sydney’s goalscoring has been a concern and may remain one Hawthorn celebrated their centenary doing two things they love Things got angry early on when James Sicily caught Maurice Rioli holding the ball and decided to push him into the ground completely unnecessarily There’s no bigger sporting event in Australia than the Q Clash and it just has so much more meaning when Brisbane are honouring the Bears by wearing their jumper there’s so much heritage to honour when it comes to the Bears The scoreboard makes this look closer than it was Perhaps the most interesting moment was when Jarrod Berry had a set shot after the first quarter siren only for the man on the mark Bailey Humphrey to give away a 50-meter penalty that bit of turf could have lightly brushed Berry if it made contacts You can help support me in producing this ridiculous nonsense I churn out on a regular basis. Find out more here: https://titusoreily.com/support-titus Join the Titus O’Reily mailing list to stay up to date with the latest Do you find it funny that since the innovation of 3D printers I saw Yze saying that Noah Belta was a key member in the Tigers leadership group After Ben Stokes was filmed committing a similarly vicious unprovoked street assault English Cricket decided he was just the right kind of chap to be the England captain I'm leaning against my 2004 Corolla feeling very hurt but it could 100%win an AFL game against the Eagles.. People hate Hawthorn for one basic reason - they are incredibly good at being a successful club At least one premiership every decade since the 1960s - envy is a great driver of hate THINGS just got a lot more complicated for Essendon When Nick Bryan went down last week with a season-ending knee injury, and then days later Sam Draper was revealed as a surprise unrestricted free agent how the Bombers managed their two out-of-contract rucks became intriguing But the bigger curveball came on Friday night with Draper's Achilles injury which Essendon is clearly fearing could be a long time out of the game this year 36-year-old veteran Todd Goldstein will play his first game of the year against Collingwood on Anzac Day and hold down the fort But what the injury means for Draper's future is where the Bombers' minds will also be particularly after a start to the season that has been the 26-year-old's best and most consistent patch of form of his career Should scans confirm on Sunday that a serious Achilles injury has occurred, as coach Brad Scott forecast on Friday night when he said the Bombers were "concerned" about the severity then the questions will be on how all parties take the next steps Scott flagged it was shaping as the third long-term injury in three weeks at the club including Tom Edwards' ACL at training earlier this month Essendon's call to roll the dice on Sam Draper proves costly with the big man emotional after sustaining a suspected lower leg injury wanted to start the season playing together to see how the two-man ruck set-up fared before getting deeper into contract talks The Bombers have been keen to lock in Bryan on a new deal and two years would take him to free agency while there have been ongoing negotiations on Draper's future but no firm term put forward as yet After clubs were informed of Draper's unrestricted free agency status last Monday – it was expected he would be a restricted free agent – the view was that it could see clubs increase their bids for him without the threat of it being matched by the cashed-up Bombers Adelaide has long been keen on Draper as they have scoured the market for another ruckman in recent years The injury will be considered by all clubs who hold interest Last week's game against Melbourne was arguably the best of Draper's career his forward craft has improved – he was well on track for a career-best goal haul this season after booting seven in the first five games – his marking has been consistent and when confident Draper has brought an energy to Essendon's mix Injuries restricted him to 14 games in 2023 and 16 in 2024 Essendon has wanted to keep Draper and Draper is settled in Melbourne with rivals' belief that he would likely remain there which led to emotional scenes for the ruckman in the Optus Stadium rooms on Friday added complexity to the contract situation Vigo Visentini is developing but not yet ready for AFL rucking The Bombers already had two spots for the mid-season rookie draft after round 11 in late May and their search for ready-to-go ruck back-up will be turbocharged Former Sun Brayden Crossley trained with the Western Bulldogs over summer but ultimately was overlooked and Coburg's Cooper Keogh are two of a small number of state league rucks considered the most capable of stepping in Cal Twomey and Riley Beveridge chat to player agent Ben Williams There are other tall youngsters in the mid-season pool including potential No.1 pick and 200cm prospect Floyd Burmeister but he turns 19 next month and is more a forward and longer-term option The Draper injury brings questions for chasing clubs it forces his own to find replacements and it complicates the decision ahead for the player himself at a time when he was proving his quality Melbourne has faced a fierce blowtorch during a winless start to the season and presents a dangerous opponent for Fremantle as it returns to the MCG Essendon is heading to Adelaide for Gather Round featuring a huge weekend of footy and community events Kick off the weekend at the Macca’s Footy Fest at Elder Park and go in the running to win some great prizes A selection of players will also appear on stage between 4:30pm and 5:30pm so make sure you’re there to catch them live Location: Adelaide OvalTime: 7:35pm (AEST) Saturday night It’s game day as we take on Melbourne at Adelaide Oval under lights Tickets are still available — don’t miss your chance to cheer the team on in a big Saturday night clash.Tickets can be purchased here. 13 April — Superkick Clinic and Fan Activities Join us at University Oval on Sunday morning for a family-friendly event While registrations for the NAB AFL Superkick Clinic have closed fans are encouraged to attend and take part in a range of activities including: A coffee cart and the canteen will also be open 13 April — Reynella Coles Player Appearance Morphett Vale SA 5162Time: 11:00am – 12:00pm Read Essendon's latest injury report ahead of Gather Round Match: Essendon Bombers vs North Melbourne KangaroosDate: Thursday 2025Start Time: 7:30pm (AEST)Stadium: Marvel Stadium Essendon and North Melbourne kick off Round 8 in an intriguing contest on Thursday night at Marvel Stadium The Bombers had a three-match winning run come to an end on Anzac Day against traditional rivals Collingwood by 41 points the margin was harsh considering they were well and truly in the game up until the final quarter It was promising for the Bombers faithful to see a fight back on such a big occasion with a relatively inexperienced side Although they wish they could start winning matches like those but will be fairly confident of grabbing the four points on Thursday considering they have won all of the last 11 meetings between the two sides Similarly, North Melbourne were valiant in defeat against Port Adelaide as they suffered their fifth consecutive loss Alastair Clarkson's men had chances to win the game but uncharacteristic set-shot misses from Nick Larkey in the final term proved costly but a poor first term saw them concede 45 points and almost put the game beyond reach That wasn't the only hindrance to come out of the game with arguably the best small forward in the competition being handed a controversial three-week suspension for his tackle on Josh Sinn Essendon has won all of the past 11 H2H meetings against North Melbourne Below are the odds (at the time of writing) for Essendon vs North Melbourne on Saturday across multiple bookmakers Essendon vs North Melbourne Prediction & Odds – AFL | 2025 Check out our Essendon vs North Melbourne prediction now See all the Essendon vs North Melbourne odds for the AFL Round 8 match at Marvel Stadium Match: Essendon Bombers vs North Melbourne KangaroosDate: Thursday Essendon and North Melbourne kick off Round 8 in an intriguing contest on Thursday night at Marvel Stadium The Bombers had a three-match winning run come to an end on Anzac Day against traditional rivals Collingwood by 41 points Similarly, North Melbourne were valiant in defeat against Port Adelaide as they suffered their fifth consecutive loss.  Alastair Clarkson's men had chances to win the game, but uncharacteristic set-shot misses from Nick Larkey in the final term proved costly. Not only that, but a poor first term saw them concede 45 points and almost put the game beyond reach.  That wasn't the only hindrance to come out of the game, with arguably the best small forward in the competition, Paul Curtis, being handed a controversial three-week suspension for his tackle on Josh Sinn. Essendon has won all of the past 11 H2H meetings against North Melbourne. Below are the odds (at the time of writing) for Essendon vs North Melbourne on Saturday across multiple bookmakers.  Essendon youngster Archie Roberts had some big shoes to fill this season after taking over from former captain Dyson Heppell in the No.21 guernsey After 14 years and 253 games in the number Heppell had his choice of who would take over his locker and the 19-year-old would end up his choice to carry on the legacy While he only played the one game alongside the former skipper Heppell saw enough in the youngster to bestow him with the honour and even Roberts admitted he was shocked when the call came his way this off-season It was day one of the pre-season and he asked me if I wanted to wear it,” Roberts told SEN Afternoons “I was sort of shocked and I didn't really know what to say “To have a legend like him and such a special human ask me to wear his number was pretty cool “It was something I had to do and now I’ve got to try and live up to ‘Hep’ and try and run out every week with a bit of him on my shoulder “That's what I’d like to do with the number 21 I'm very thankful for him to give me the opportunity to wear it.” with Roberts one of Essendon’s big improvers so far in 2025 Already matching his season tally of four games in his debut season in 2025 Roberts was named the Round 5 Rising Star for his 28-disposal six-tackle performance in the Gather Round win over Melbourne While he may play a different role than Heppell did in his prime on the field Roberts hopes to play like the retired great for the rest of his career “I think he just loved how I went about it,” Roberts said I’m big on my competitiveness and will to win but he just asked me to carry it on for the rest of my career.” Roberts will hope to keep his strong form up when the Bombers face the Eagles at Optus Stadium on Friday night with sides beginning to find their place amongst the fluid ranks of the premiership race A round that saw four contests decided by two kicks or less Round 3 may prove to have housed a range of six-pointers come the season's end From another Blue capitulation to a stellar top-end double header here are six things that we learned from the weekend’s results Essendon's 'rebuild' is off to a flyer It was widely suggested midweek that the Bombers were entering rebuild mode following a disastrous start to 2025 however many questioned how their potential lack of young talent would stunt their ability to look to the future Their result against Port Adelaide proved that with the likes of Isaac Kako taking charge in the final quarter and putting the nail in the coffin to bury a poor Port Adelaide side two majors from Caddy to go with strong performances from their mature core in Jye Caldwell and Nic Martin If the Bombers can nail the draft in the coming years all while continuing to build on their already solid young core it won't take too long before Essendon can once again compete at the highest level The Blues have once again failed to maintain a lead falling to zip and three after their 75-83 capitulation against the Western Bulldogs That’s three straight games in which Carlton have mustered a handy advantage before seemingly running out of legs failing at the final hurdle when it matters most Carlton have taken a lead into half time in each of their three games +48 from their 89 first half points conceded in contrast to the Blues’ second half tally of -89 (67 points for 156 points against) rings some pretty major alarm bells if Carlton cannot navigate the cause of their closing stage capitulation 2025 could be yet another wasted season in the midst of a multi-decade rut A loss in next week’s clash with Collingwood The Suns' patience has finally paid off multiple top picks and a three-time premiership coach but it finally looks like the Gold Coast Suns are ready to make a September charge While they have only played two games thus far against the lowly West Coast Eagles and a temperamental Demons side the Suns have shown practically every sign you would look for in a top AFL team Noah Anderson and Touk Miller has truly peaked as the Suns lead the league with 45 clearances per game at a monstrous average +16.5 clearances over their opposition per game Recruits Daniel Rioli and John Noble have slotted perfectly into Damien Hardwick’s system with their run and carry off half back while Bailey Humphrey’s adaptation to the Dusty role hands Dimma all the pieces he needs to fire up what could be yet another dominant force and the Suns are every chance to start the season with five wins on the trot The Brisbane Lions have kicked off their premiership defence in style claiming three wins from three following a gritty come-from-behind win against the Cats on Saturday While it was already a given that the Lions were stacked with talent Saturday night’s impressive victory was a rampant display of the elite depth that coach Chris Fagan has at his disposal With Lachie Neale held to just 20 touches at poor efficiency Charlie Cameron managing just seven touches and Joe Daniher’s supposed replacement Sam Day failing to hit the scoreboard the Lions still managed a seven goal to two second half to overrun the Cats in the wet with the likes of Darcy Fort dominating the ruck battle Will Ashcroft proving his stardom and super-sub Bruce Reville turning everything he touched to gold The strength across the board for the Brisbane Lions will cement their spot in the upper echelon of the AFL for some time Hawthorn are every bit the premiership favourite After a dreamy run to close the 2024 season a decent September showing and a stellar off-season it should come as no surprise that the Hawks are off to a flying start Down by over five goals in the first term and battling extreme conditions in Tasmania the Hawks fought back to claim a massive 12-point win over premiership contenders GWS While the usual suspects are continuing to get the job done the Hawks’ young talent have stepped up in a major way with 'The Wizard' Nick Watson playing arguably his best career game (21 disposals Finn Maginness playing a vital role in the midfield (25 disposals) and Josh Weddle proving his value on either side of the ball (20 disposals Arguably most impressive was 21-year-old Cam Mackenzie whose 30 disposals earnt himself some major praise from SEN’s Kane Cornes new recruits slotting in seamlessly and a perfect start to 2025 Sam Mitchell’s army look every bit the favourites to claim major honours come the season’s end The Crows have the best forward line in the AFL A big call… but the Crows are continuing to prove that their ability to score the ball is second to none in the competition It cannot be understated that the North Melbourne that the Crows piled 114 points on are not the same Kangaroos we are used to The ‘Roos put up a great fight in their contest at Adelaide Oval But Adelaide’s three-pronged attack once again dominated to full effect Riley Thilthorpe has been a force since his return from injury booting another three goals taking his tally to nine in 2025 Taylor Walker contributed four goals who - alongside Josh Rachele (6) and Ben Keays (7) - mark five Crows players with six or more majors across just three games Averaging a competition-high 21 goals a game the Crows have managed 410 points thus far - only Geelong and St Kilda have managed over 300 in three games Matthew Nicks has his Crows humming all over the park and their ability to apply scoreboard pressure will prove troubling for any side if their synergy remains throughout the season Tips and predictions for AFL Round 8By SEN Round 8 kicks off on Thursday night with Essendon and North Melbourne clashing at Marvel Stadium St Kilda hosts Fremantle in the second Marvel night fixture of the weekend on Friday before a stacked Saturday highlighted by Collingwood v Geelong at the MCG Sunday sees the Sydney Derby between the Swans and GWS at the SCG and the Q-Clash between Brisbane and Gold Coast to wrap things up Check out our tips and predictions for each game below Two solid wins against Port Adelaide and Melbourne were enough to suggest that Essendon have what it takes to perform at the top level however a horror scare against the Eagles and a 41-point Anzac Day defeat to the Pies left a lot to be desired With growing confidence in youngsters Nate Caddy and Zach Reid and the continued stardom of captain Zach Merrett the Bombers will continue to prove a challenging fixture across the course of the season While their 1-6 record might ring alarm bells North Melbourne can still salvage plenty from their season With ongoing questions of coach Alastair Clarkson’s ability to steer the young list in the right direction the Kangaroos put on a well-fought contest over Anzac Day weekend Falling by just nine points to Port Adelaide North’s 11-goal-to-seven run in the final three quarters was a strong sign of the side’s capability to compete the Roos will need their forwards to step up in his absence both the Roos and the Bombers have a great deal to play for North Melbourne will view this contest as a very winnable game particularly after the Bombers barely squeezed by the winless Eagles however there is no denying that their solid performance against the Power will build confidence Essendon’s Anzac Day loss will hurt given their advantage in the third term but a strong contest against the competition’s top team and with a young core finding their stride makes it three losses in a row for St Kilda the Saints have found themselves up against sides that finished second to sixth on last year’s ladder as well as having three matches in South Australia They now have three of their next four in Victoria against sides that finished around them so these next few weeks will be telling for where they stand Another dismal outing on Friday night would make for an interesting post-match the Dockers have won four of their next five games Add to this the addition of Luke Jackson playing alongside Sean Darcy for the first time on Friday and it poses a big threat to a low-on-confidence St Kilda Justin Longmuir seems to have his side back on track after a mishap against Melbourne but a trip to Marvel Stadium for one of two games this year could aid the Saints chances There are two St Kilda’s we’ve seen this year; one that is capable of stopping the likes of Geelong and one that looks lifeless and disorganised After three weeks of the latter I think we are due for a response particularly with the return of fiery Ross Lyon in the build-up In front of the eyes of the footy world on a Friday night it’s a chance for both of these teams to prove their game styles can be attractive viewing A close one under the lid would deliver the goods Prickly Ross is back and he will be intent on a strong showing against hid old club Despite all the challenges the team has faced from a personnel viewpoint Luke Beveridge has the Doggies absolutely humming They went to Canberra last week and dismantled one of the league’s best defensive outfits becoming the first team this season to put 100-plus points on the Giants leaning on their small-to-medium forwards in James Harmes (four goals) and Rhylee West (three goals) Captain Marcus Bontempelli has hit the ground running after injury and Joel Freijah is a rapidly-rising star Port Adelaide’s early-season renaissance continued in Round 7 getting the business done by nine points over North Melbourne It was a fiery affair which largely centred around the Roos’ former No.1 pick Jason Horne-Francis ‘JHF’ overcame the close checking of his old colleagues to help guide the Power to a third win in a row Zak Butters has been dominant in his four games back from a knee injury and with captain Connor Rozee starring at half-back things are looking good for Ken Hinkley and Josh Carr The Dogs are in great shape right now and seem to be in absolute control of their game They are two of the form teams of the competition with the winner looking to establish themselves in the top eight Port have won the past four matchups including the two meetings in Ballarat (2017 and 2018) while the Dogs have won four of their past five at MARS Stadium overall but Bevo’s Bulldogs seem to have a few more gears That’s the big question leading into this game Both sides are capable of blistering footy at their best but can lose to just about anyone on an off day the Blues absolutely get the nod with three wins in their last three games while the Crows are 1-3 over the last month after starting the season hot you’d expect the Crows – who have the league’s best offence – to blow Carlton out of the water as they couldn’t put a winning score on the board That’s changed in recent weeks with the Blues averaging 122 points per game in their last three two of those games came against the Eagles and Kangaroos If Carlton can keep that scoring momentum up then they have every chance of keeping up with the Crows Adelaide’s forward line still probably scores north of 85 points While other contenders have failed against the Magpies this year Cats coach Chris Scott will no doubt throw something different at them from a gameplan perspective the Magpies have strangled teams defensively out wide while scoring freely through the corridor If the Cats can get through that zone and take away some of their opposition’s attacking threat they’ve got enough inside their forward line to get the job done One area which will obviously be crucial is the midfield an area where Geelong fell short against Carlton With the way Nick Daicos and Steele Sidebottom are playing the Cats will need to slow some of their influence and Tom Atkins will probably be the man to go to the Brownlow Medal favourite But if the Cats get on top on ball and feed the likes of Jeremy Cameron Patrick Dangerfield and Tyson Stengle enough it’s hard to pick against Craig McRae’s side at the moment Although they come in to this game winless the Eagles OFFENSIVELY have started to show better signs in the most recent weeks Three times this season they’ve scored 75 points with two of those coming in the last two weeks And apart from the 50 point defeat to the Hawks last week they’ve had more moments recently that show signs of a team that is getting closer to getting that first win of the year who have won three of their past four matches just quietly is much better then what both Port Adelaide AND Melbourne were able to achieve when they had to play them during the past month then this should definitely convince you to rethink your tip The last time the Demons had to play the Eagles in Perth was last season in Round 10 where West Coast won comfortably to the tune of 35 points A game in which Melbourne came in with a record of 6-3… the Eagles have been the Round 8 masters since the year 2000 winning 18 of the past 25 matches in that round You’ve got to give credit to Melbourne though however Two wins from their past two games and things do start to look like they’re beginning to click for the 2021 premiers we can’t quickly forget that this side is still trying to evolve into something different There will be plenty of highs and lows for this Melbourne side this year their recent high will take a pause this week as the footy gods find a way to give the Eagles (and Andrew McQualter) their first win of the season Sunday’s Sydney Derby sees two sides entering with plenty to prove The Swans have failed to defend their minor premiership winning just two of their first seven games in 2025 While injuries have certainly crippled the club performances have left a lot to be desired under Dean Cox with a clear inability to put points on the board Currently fifth from bottom in total scores for the season in the absence of front-half talent Tom Papley the Swans have managed over 100 points just once thus far After blowing a 29-point advantage to the Suns Sydney needs to perform to get their season back on track While the Giants were a suspected premiership threat entering this season they have fallen in all but one of their major challenges since Opening Round A strong win against Collingwood saw them in good stead Adelaide and the Bulldogs has raised a number of questions as to where the Giants might reside come season’s end This edition of the Derby presents as an opportunity for either side to return to form certainly have the talent to compete with the competition’s best as seen for the better part of their clash with Gold Coast the Giants have all the tools necessary to control the Swans’ scoring issues Partnered with a full-strength forward line this contest has all the makings of a comfortable win Hawthorn’s Centenary celebrations take place against Richmond at the MCG on Sunday The two clubs clashed in the Hawks’ very first VFL game back in 1925 at Glenferrie Oval with the Tigers saluting by 39 points you wouldn’t expect a similar result this weekend given the Hawks are a serious side and the Tigers are rebuilding Sam Mitchell’s Hawks returned to winning ways with a 50-point smashing of West Coast last Sunday night off-season recruit Josh Battle played his best game in brown and gold to date and veteran forward Jack Gunston keeps on keeping on booting another four goals to take his season tally to 17 The Tigers were competitive for three quarters against Melbourne but were blown away in the third term They’d want to stay competitive for longer against a side like the Hawks this on paper appears somewhat one-sided but Adem Yze’s Tigers have already surprised Carlton and Gold Cast this season The Hawks faithful helped the Tigers achieve an enormous crowd of 92,311 for Dusty’s 300th in June last year so it would be nice to see the Tiger Army repay the faith for Hawthorn’s big day You’d expect that Richmond will at times make life difficult for the Hawks but in the end the class of the top-four chasers should come out on top to tick their sixth win of the season it’s more than just bragging rights on the line Both Brisbane and Gold Coast are in strong early-season form and this matchup seems like an amazing game to close out the round While the Suns have surprised many with a 5-1 start questions remain over the quality of their opposition Four of their five wins have come against teams currently sitting 14th or lower and their narrow win over Adelaide came with controversy — a missed free kick to Izak Rankine that could’ve flipped the result Their loss against a struggling Richmond is also unforgivable and it’s fair to ask just how real Gold Coast’s form is have already defeated two current top-eight sides and their only defeat came against the ladder-leading Pies They’ve also owned the Q-Clash in recent history They’ve only led at half-time in two of their seven matches something that Gold Coast will need to exploit early if they’re to cause an upset Key defender Jack Payne could return to bolster the Lions’ backline after being a late-out last week due to illness while the focus will be on Kai Lohmann’s fitness following a shoulder concern look set to roll in unchanged after a commanding win over Sydney last week and a near full-strength squad Gold Coast look like a genuine top-eight contender but this is their first real test against elite opposition expect Brisbane to fraud-check the Suns here ESSENDON captain Zach Merrett has dominated in a 39-point thrashing of Melbourne that plunges the winless Demons further into the mire Skipper Merrett was best-afield with 38 disposals in the Bombers' 15.6 (96) to 8.9 (57) win in Saturday night's Gather Round game at Adelaide Oval were instrumental in Essendon squaring their win-loss ledger at 2-2 DEMONS v BOMBERS Full match coverage and stats But Simon Goodwin's Demons sink to 0-5 and 17th spot Melbourne produced a third-term rally before a crowd of 45,039 But the damage had been done: the Demons were within six points early in the second term before Essendon kicked the next five goals for a 35-point lead in the third quarter Just when the Demons appeared down and out they suddenly - and unexpectedly - turned the tide with four consecutive goals in a 15-minute burst Bayley Fritsch score twice and Kozzy Pickett added his second as Melbourne drew within 11 points The Demons were 10 down when busy Bomber Nic Martin goaled in the 32nd minute giving his side a 16-point cushion at three quarter-time Essendon goalsneak Jade Gresham snapped a major early in the last term to further settle the Demons' fate Melbourne will lament their lacklustre start - they trailed by 12 points at quarter-time and then allowed Essendon to produce a telling quarter-hour The Bombers scored four consecutive goals in a batch bookended by the influential Menzie renowned in recent years for a misfiring forward line led the inside 50 count 25-22 but had scored just 2.4 Essendon's 7.4 to 2.5 half-time lead was soon increased by an Archie Perkins strike and Brad Scott's team appeared safe at 35 points up The Demons slotted four goals in their unheralded 15 minutes but their best period was too brief to overpower the Bombers Melbourne's vaunted on-ball brigade had its collective colours lowered Andrew McGrath (26 possessions) and Nic Martin (28 Demons winger Ed Langdon was a standout with 25 touches and a goal while big guns Pickett (23 Christian Petracca (27 possessions) and Clayton Oliver (24) all had impact Shiel starting to shine againAfter handing GWS two first round selections in exchange for Dylan Shiel in 2018 Essendon was rewarded with a cracking first season from the midfielder before injury and form saw his output dip sharply over the next five years he came out on fire on Saturday night with 20 first-half possessions and finished with 30 for the match Shiel is back to his best and could prove a key cog if the Bombers are to find finals success this season MELBOURNE    1.4    2.5    7.7      8.9 (57)ESSENDON      3.4    7.4    10.5    15.6 (96) INJURIESMelbourne: TBCEssendon: Bryan (knee) replaced Jack Henderson in the third quarterEssendon: Saad El-Hawli Solid hit-out for Bombers ahead of return to VFL campaign MELBOURNE coach Simon Goodwin is adamant he can rescue his winless club from the mire after plunging to a 39-point loss to Essendon The Demons are in a 0-5 hole after Bombers captain Zach Merrett dominated in his side's 15.6 (96) to 8.9 (57) victory at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night Essendon ruck Nick Bryan will be sent for scans after suffering a suspected season-ending knee injury But Merrett's game-high 38 disposals and the feats of Dylan Shiel (30 touches) and Jye Menzie (four goals) were instrumental in Essendon squaring its win-loss ledger at 2-2 with an alarming lack of scoring potency - averaging about 60 points a game Extended highlights of the Demons and Bombers clash in round five of the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season Watch Melbourne’s press conference after round five’s match against Essendon Watch Essendon’s press conference after round five’s match against Melbourne The Demons and Bombers clash in round five of the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season Mason Redman unleashes a monster from beyond 50 to seal a fantastic victory for the Bombers Melbourne eventually earns the goal it was crying out for thanks to a classy Bayley Fritsch finish Sam Draper pulls down a towering grab over Max Gawn to get the Essendon faithful buzzing again Jye Menzie musters a couple of majors in the second term as the Bombers continue to pull away Essendon’s Nick Bryan is forced out of the contest in the first term after suffering an injury in a ruck contest Ben Hobbs curls through a fantastic goal as Essendon controls the contest in the first term Kysaiah Pickett snares his first goal for 2025 after a lively play in front of goal "We've had a lot of challenges through my time at the footy club," Goodwin said after the match "I have been pretty well serviced to see the club through that and I feel pretty well credentialed to do that "'We're in a challenging spot right now and we acknowledge that but my focus is just doing my job to the best of my ability and I believe I've got the credentials to do it." But the damage had been done: the Demons were within six points early in the second term before the Bombers kicked the next five goals for a 35-point lead in the third quarter The Demons had clawed back to just 10 points down when busy Bomber Nic Martin goaled in the 32nd minute Essendon then scored five goals to one in the last term to settle Melbourne's fate The Demons will lament allowing their opponents to produce a telling quarter-hour in the second stanza when the Bombers kicked four consecutive goals The batch was book-ended by the influential Menzie Essendon's 7.4 to 2.5 half-time lead was soon increased to 35 points before the Demons' unheralded four-goal But Melbourne's best period was too brief to overpower the Bombers "We were on for most of the game," Scott said "Melbourne to their credit really challenged us in that third quarter but I thought we showed pretty good character to respond to that challenge." Essendon claimed midfield honours with Merrett Christian Petracca (27 possessions) and Clayton Oliver (24 possessions) all had impact The Dees' dynamic duo can't do it by themselves anymoreAs good as Melbourne's list has been through its years in contention the Demons' undisputed one wood was in the midfield the almost unstoppable pairing of Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca The pair won six best and fairest awards between them from 2017 to 2023 but became mere football mortals through the horrors of last year On Saturday night both showed glimpses of their old selfs but were ultimately just another two players plying their trade It would seem that if the Demons are to rise it would be on the champions' backs but maybe it's more the case that someone else needs to do the heavy lifting Tim Kelly and Nat Fyfe were in action in the WAFL on Saturday