Don The Stat

🔴⚫ NEW EP DROP | Round 18 Preview: Essendon v Brisbane

The challenge doesn’t get much bigger.

After another tough week, the Bombers head to Brisbane to take on the back-to-back premiers. While the results haven’t been there, are there genuine signs of progress under Dean Solomon that could set the club up for the future?

This week on Don The Stat we discuss:
📊 The St Kilda review
🧠 What we’re seeing under Solly
👀 The latest on the coaching search
💬 The Zach Merrett debate
🔥 Essendon’s play for Jed Walter
🦁 How Brisbane has rediscovered its best footy
✅ Selection, tactics and key match-ups

As always, thanks to our incredible Patreon community for your support. We appreciate every one of you.

🎧 Listen now and let us know your thoughts in the comments.

🎙️ NEW PODCAST | Round 17 Preview: Essendon v St Kilda

Jono is back from Europe and joins Humey to preview Sunday’s clash with the Saints.

This week we cover:
🔴 The disappointing loss to North Melbourne
⚫ Why Essendon’s defensive transition continues to be a major issue
🔴 The coaching search panel and AFL assistance package
⚫ Jack Bowes trade rumours
🔴 The selection call that has us scratching our heads
⚫ Key match-ups, tactics and how the Bombers can knock off St Kilda

Plus, we hand out another Damian Barrett Lifetime Achievement Award and discuss the five things we want to see from Essendon over the remainder of the season.

🎧 Available now wherever you get your podcasts, or watch the full episode on YouTube.

As always, thanks for your incredible support.

⏰ It’s Game Day.

We’ve been a bit slack on the Socials but there’s still time to grab a listen to our Round 16 Match Preview featuring Josh Wilson, before the game starts.

Out now (and since Thursday night) on all good and bad podcast apps.

Go Dons 💪🏼

The Centre Bounce Blue Print. What Essendon’s midfield data reveals in 2026.

Just how important are centre clearances to winning AFL matches?

In the latest Don The Stat deep dive, we take a look.

The Centre Bounce Blueprint | What Essendon's Midfield Data Reveals in 2026 How important are centre clearances to winning AFL games?In this ...

🔴⚫️ ESSENDON v CARLTON PREVIEW IS LIVE 🔴⚫️

It doesn’t matter where these clubs sit on the ladder.

It doesn’t matter who’s coaching.

Essendon vs Carlton still matters.

This week on Don The Stat, we review Dean Solomon’s first game in charge, discuss the Bombers’ AFL assistance request, and break down how Essendon can challenge a Blues side that has suddenly found form under Josh Fraser.

Plus:
🏉 Nick Bryan’s emergence as a genuine AFL ruck
🏉 The fallout from West Coast
🏉 Selection dilemmas
🏉 Match-ups and tactics for Sunday night at the MCG

Can the Bombers respond against their oldest rival?

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

At times like this, it's hard not to be reflective. We certainly were, and it reminded us of just what supporting this club really means.

The thousands and thousands of loyal, passionate fans, from all walks of life, different stories, connected by the sash that runs across our chest.

It was our pleasure to be able to bring some of these to life. We really do have the best fans in the world.

(It's a long read).

Feel free to share your story in the comments.

What This Week Reminded Me About Essendon A personal reflection on what it means to support Essendon through difficult times. Don The Stat explores community, loyalty, resilience and why the Essendon Football Club is about far more than wins and losses.

It’s been an emotional week for Essendon fans.

Another injury-hit loss. Brad Scott’s departure. Dean Solomon stepping into the senior coaching role. Endless media noise. Plenty of frustration, sadness and uncertainty.

But this episode is also about what makes Essendon…Essendon.

The people. The stories. The community that keeps fronting up no matter how hard things get.

On this week’s Don The Stat Match Preview, we unpack:
▪️ Brad Scott’s sacking and what comes next
▪️ The long-term rebuild and list strategy
▪️ Darcy Parish’s massive Dreamtime performance
▪️ Kane Cornes earning a Barrett Award nomination
▪️ Jaxon Artemis joining the club via the MSD
▪️ What to expect against West Coast in Perth
▪️ The tactical changes we want to see under Dean Solomon

It’s reflective, emotional, analytical and honest.

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts

And once a club reaches this point, everything becomes exposed. It’s going to expose who’s there to work hard and who’s going through the motions. It will expose who will go the extra yards to improve their game and who’s looking to expand their bank balance. At its worst, it’s going to set player against player, coach against coach, fan against fan. This will be stoked by an ever more rabid media, whose raison d'etre is to feed these conflicts for clicks, outrage and relevance....

Click below for more. 👇

The Pit Once a club reaches this point, everything becomes exposed. It’s going to expose who’s there to work hard and who’s going through the motions. It will expose who will go the extra yards to improve their game and who’s looking to expand their bank balance. At its worst, it’s going to set pl...

Dreamtime at the ‘G is here. 🖤❤️💛

The Bombers head into one of the biggest nights on the AFL calendar under pressure after another tough loss, with questions around contest, starts, injuries and the direction of the club dominating the week.

This episode we break down:
📊 The Fremantle loss and why the stats didn’t tell the full story
🔥 Essendon’s ongoing first quarter struggles
📰 The Jay Clark media storm
🏥 Wright and Fiorini injury updates
🎯 Key tactical matchups for Dreamtime at the ‘G

Plus another Damian Barrett Award nominee enters the arena.

🎧 Listen now and let us know your thoughts.
Go Dons.