Bomber Barracks

Bomber fans - That’s a wrap on the season

Going to the game on Sunday, I genuinely thought we could win. And we nearly did.

Caddy has needed a game where he almost wins it off his own boot, and what a game he had. What a way to finish the season.

Gee, we’ve improved.

The run and carry down the wing. The overlap. The willingness to take the game on. There are some really positive signs there.

At the start of the year I asked for contest and defence. We’ve still got a way to go, but there is no doubt this team is heading in the right direction.

Players like Clarke and ADW are so important to this club. They’re the types who can eventually become the backbone players. They might not be absolute stars, but they’re almost first named every week. Every good side needs blokes like that.

And then there’s Merrett.

When he kicked that goal, I stood and applauded longer than I probably should have. I had tears in my eyes.

God, I hope he stays.

But if he doesn’t, what a man.

He picked himself up and played with so much heart under Solly. He has been completely selfless over the last 6–8 weeks. He will go down as one of the greats of this football club.

McGrath had a tremendous game too. He is the leader we need at this club.

I just don’t see a role for Jones at the club going forward.

Vigo was great. And I reckon we won’t miss Draper down the track.

And finally… we have a coach.

Boy oh boy did my post get a response. The Hird thing went a little Trump-esque there towards the end!

But here’s where I stand.

No one man is greater than the club.

I love James. I always will. But the club has made its decision, and I think we need to get behind the person who has been given the job.

I had to limit comments to followers. The abuse I received offline was immense.

I make a stand on this page. I will not tolerate hate.

I stand by that.

If you stop following Essendon because James Hird didn’t get the job, that’s your choice. If you’re sad about it, I get it. Mourn it. Be disappointed. But then move on.

We’ve got a great person in charge.

The future is bright.

And I’ll be continuing this page over the next few months, right through to draft time. There’s still plenty to play out and I’m genuinely excited to see what transpires.

I can’t wait to get to Windy Hill on Saturday to support the 2s.

To everyone who sticks with me, thank you.

We lost roughly the same number of followers as we gained from the McVeigh post.

I’m good with that.

I started this page for you guys.

The whole point was to create a safe space for Essendon supporters to talk footy, disagree, debate and have a laugh.

That got away from us three times this year — Scott, McKay and Hird.

Each time, I dealt with the people who crossed the line.

I’ll continue to do that.

You can disagree with me. You can be angry. You can argue your point.

Just don’t bring hate into this community.

Go Bombers. ❤️🖤

McVEIGH LOOKING VERY LIKELY -
Updated: Hird now has congratulated him. Video attached in message below.

There’s still no official decision, but the signs are getting pretty hard to ignore.

McVeigh has completed his final presentation, and, as far as we know, he is the only candidate who has been asked to front the Essendon board.

That’s significant.

It’s very similar to the process we saw with Ken Hinkley, where he was invited to the board, subsequently ratified and then announced as senior coach the following day.

So while we obviously don’t have confirmation until Essendon makes it official, you’d have to think McVeigh is sitting at around 90% to get the job, worst case.

And if he is the man chosen, we get behind him.

This isn’t a political race. We don’t support candidates — we support the Essendon Football Club.

If you can’t get behind the Bombers, no matter who the coach is, then it’s probably time to move on from this page. Abuse or nonsense about not supporting the club will result in blocking.

This is our club. Always.

Go Dons.

Happy last game day, Bombers fans.

In what has pretty much been a year from hell, I just want to say thank you to every one of you who has supported Bomber Barracks throughout 2026.

We built something really bloody cool here.

And today is Andrew McGrath’s 200th game.

As the No. 1 pick, I think we’ve judged him pretty harshly at times. The reality is, the bloke has spent a huge chunk of his career playing in a very poor football team.

I remember when he did his knee and we were actually going pretty well. It was a devastating blow because he was an exceptional lockdown defender.

And he still is.

He did a fantastic job on Watson earlier this year.

It’s not Andrew McGrath’s fault he was drafted into a struggling football club. The players love him. The staff love him. That’s a big part of why they chose him as captain.

You can disagree with the captaincy. That’s football.

But if you come on here today and tell me he’s the worst captain this club has ever had, or go after him personally, I’ll block you.

I don’t have a choice.

It’s the last game of the year, and I owe that to the people who have come on here all season, had their say and kept it civil.

And there’s another warning coming. One some of you probably won’t like.

James Hird.

If James doesn’t get the job next week, and I put up a post about it, and you come on here saying you’re going to tear up your membership, stop supporting the club or whatever else…

I’ll block you.

Because I’m an Essendon supporter.

And no matter how I feel about a player, a coach or a decision the club makes, none of them are bigger than Essendon Football Club.

That’s where I stand.

I’m taking my kids to the footy today. I absolutely cannot wait.

I hope we win.

I hope we avoid the wooden spoon.

And I hope we finish this bloody season with something to smile about.

I support Essendon.

Those of you who have come on this journey with me this year support Essendon too.

For the few who would rather be right about their opinion than support the club they supposedly love, it’s probably time we said goodbye.

For the rest of you, It’s game day, baby.

Go Bombers. ❤️🖤

UNCHANGED TEAM! 🔴⚫️

Well, we played pretty well against Sydney… so much so that Solly has left the team unchanged.

Surely that’s the first time this year! 😂

Well, nothing surprises me anymore with the Bombers.

Really looking forward to getting along on Sunday. I reckon we can win this one.

Do you reckon we get it done? 👊

ZACH REID: THE NUMBERS ARE STARTING TO TELL THE STORY

I have not wanted to jinx it, but Zach Reid’s numbers deserve a closer look.

Reid has now played 22 games in 2026, taking his AFL career to 41 games. That continuity matters for a 24-year-old key defender whose development has been interrupted by injury.

And the numbers are encouraging.

Reid is averaging 13.3 disposals, 9.2 kicks and 5.8 marks, with his marks rated above average. More importantly, he is using the ball well: 11.1 effective disposals and 84% disposal efficiency.

His defensive numbers are also telling: 4.3 spoils, 3.1 rebound 50s, 4.8 one-percenters, 5.2 defensive-half pressure acts and 2.4 contested defensive one-on-ones.

Now compare that profile with established key defenders.

Sam Taylor: 12.4 disposals, 5.7 marks, 6.2 intercepts and 81% efficiency.

Brennan Cox: 12.5 disposals, 5.0 marks, 6.1 intercepts and 83% efficiency.

Reid: 13.3 disposals, 5.8 marks and 84% efficiency.

That doesn’t mean Reid is at their level yet. But it shows his statistical profile is already comparable in some important areas.

The elite benchmark is higher.

Harris Andrews: 15.2 disposals, 7.7 marks and 7.5 intercepts at 91% efficiency.

James Sicily: 21.8 disposals, 7.6 marks and 8.6 intercepts.

Reid isn’t there yet — and he doesn’t need to be.

What matters is the trajectory.

He has the size, aerial ability, intercepting game, ball use and capacity to rebound from defence. And after finally getting a sustained run of football, he is getting the most valuable thing a young key defender can get: games.

The numbers aren’t screaming superstar just yet.

But they’re starting to whisper something pretty interesting.

Zach Reid is developing into a genuine AFL key defender — and there could be a lot more to come.

How good could this bloke become?

Bomber fans, so why would we delay the coaching announcement?

To me, it seems pretty obvious why the timing matters.

If it was Hird, you’d imagine we could fill Marvel this week. Even Solomon has spoken about the lack of support around the club.

So why delay?

Given everything that has happened recently, I’d suggest the obvious question is whether announcing McVeigh this week would simply invite another round of questions.

Is the delay about recent events? Is Essendon taking another look at whether McVeigh is the right cultural fit for where the club needs to go?

Who knows. We’re all guessing from the outside.

But to me, it still feels now like McVeigh is the man most likely to get the nod.

A 232-game Essendon player with substantial coaching experience is, on paper, a pretty bloody solid appointment.

And if that’s the way it goes, then this is the important bit:

We need to get behind him.

We can debate the process, the timing and the decision.

But once the decision is made, we’re Essendon supporters.

Let’s get behind whoever is given the job and give them every chance to succeed.

What do you reckon — is the delay simply about timing, or is there more going on behind the scenes?

ZACH MERRETT — THANK YOU ❤️🖤

Bomber fans, this week ahead is going to get hijacked by the coach announcement and, somewhere amongst all of that, Zach Merrett could potentially play his last game for Essendon.

So before that happens, I want to say one thing first:

Thank you, Zach.

Drafted at pick 26 in 2013, you’ve given this football club everything for 13 seasons. Captain. Leader. Six-time Crichton Medallist. Three-time All-Australian. Three-time 22under22 selection.

You’re a champion.

Your work ethic, your standards and your desire to get better have never been questioned. Neither has your dedication to the red and black.

Was I angry when you went behind the club’s back and met with Hawthorn last year?

Absolutely. I was bloody angry.

But I’ve had time to think about it.

Do I really believe Zach Merrett wanted to leave Essendon because he didn’t care about Essendon?

No.

I think he wanted success. He wanted to play finals and have a genuine chance to win a premiership before his career was over.

And while I hated the way it played out, I can understand the motivation.

For me, it was never about Zach wanting success.

It was about the way he went about it.

He knows he made a mistake. He knows people were hurt and disappointed. But he has continued to give everything to this football club, and I believe he has earned his way back into the respect of Essendon fans.

If this really is the end, I’d rather see Zach get his chance to chase success than finish his career wondering what might have been.

Whatever happens from here, he’ll always be a Bomber.

So thank you, Zach.

For the standards.
For the effort.
For the leadership.
For everything you’ve given the red and black.

You’ll always be a Bomber.

Go Bombers. ❤️🖤

Bomber fans — our VFL boys are FINALS BOUND! 🔴⚫️

I tell you what, you can change a lot in six weeks.

Six weeks ago the VFL boys had a bit of grit and potential, but what we’ve seen since then has been a huge change.

The confidence, the pressure and the way they’re finding a way to win — it’s a completely different side.

Now we’re talking FINALS.

Bring it on, Bombers. 🔴⚫️

How far can this VFL side go?

Bomber fans - who misses out?