Zach Merrett and the beaten Bombers trudge from the MCG after last Friday night’s loss to Hawthorn. Photo: GETTY IMAGES

Like all Essendon supporters, I was bitterly disappointed with that insipid opening to a new season against Hawthorn last Friday night. I accept there’s a range of opinions about what the issues are, coaching, talent, development, culture. I think it’s a bit of all of those things.

But one thing I do find particularly frustrating is the belief of some Bomber fans that this senior list has a lot of talent, and that the results aren’t coming simply because of poor coaching.

Sorry to be the harbinger of doom once again, but this list really isn’t much chop. And as far as Essendon of 2026 is concerned, that’s the bottom line.

Yes, some of the kids coming through might be good, but it’s way too early to say conclusively that ANY of them, even those usually cited like Archie Roberts, Isaac Kako, Nate Caddy etc. are going to become stars. And lack of stars is THE biggest Essendon problem. And has been for a long, long time now.

The talent issue is at its most stark at the top end of the list. In fact, I don’t recall many Essendon sides in my 55-odd years of watching the club that have been as devoid of top-end talent as this one.

Some Essendon fans might dispute this. But do those that do watch enough of other teams in action? I have to professionally, and week after week, and now year after year, I’m struck by how far off the pace even the Bombers’ best are relative to the genuine power teams of the AFL.

Ask yourself how many Essendon players would be among the top 70-80 players in the AFL. I would argue right now it’s just ONE (Zach Merrett). Who’s next? Sam Durham? Nic Martin? Andy McGrath? Whoever you choose, it would be some stretch to claim they’re in the top 70-80. There’s an argument there’s not even a second among the top 100.

And that is an absolute indictment on the recruiting, list management, coaching and development at The Hangar over a LONG period of time, not just the past couple of years.

The consequences of that are that mediocrity and self-interest have seemingly become embedded within the cultural fabric of the place. They’re insidious. It means that even when the leaders around the place, on and off the field, genuinely believe the standards being pursued are exacting, relative to the best they’re actually not.

What does that mean in practice out on the field? It means the sort of lazy half-arsed lack of defensive running and pressure that was rampant last Friday night.

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And the scariest part of that is that until these things are highlighted and criticised suitably in the various reviews of the weekend action, many of these relatively experienced and senior players probably genuinely believe they are giving everything they possibly can.

I’ve talked plenty, too, over recent years about how that selfishness and self-interest translates off the field.

It means that when far-reaching changes are put in motion, be it at board, executive, coaching or football department level, they’re inevitably compromised, usually by vested interests protecting their own patches and power bases and forcing “outsiders” (those dreaded figures traditional Essendon types seem so scared to embrace) to tip-toe around any meaningful change.

The on-field deck chairs may be shuffled in the meantime, but culturally, that fact still makes Essendon as a club resemble of the Titanic, just one sinking a lot more slowly. And the cruellest irony of all is that it’s some of the club’s biggest names that often unconsciously help torpedo any attempt to drag this footballing monolith kicking and screaming into more contemporary practices and attitudes.

The way forward? Off field, honestly, I’m buggered if I know anymore as long as “Essendon people” continue to think of this club as some sort of special being possessing of these mythical powers which automatically give it a status it hasn’t deserved for two decades.

On field? I’m not sure there’s much that can be done other than what already is being done, ie. a focus on recruiting at the national draft supplemented by judicious trading.

However it’s tackled, the bottom line is that this group of players is miles away from again being truly competitive against the best teams. Recognising that for Bomber fans is painful. But really, those fans are just a reflection of an entire club which was in complete denial about its place in the AFL pecking order for way too long, and has been playing catch-up ever since.

The cumulative damage of that ignorance and arrogance has been profound. All I hope these days is that the monumental rebuilding process required to fix it all can possibly be achieved while I’m still on the planet.

And to be honest, I’m not that hopeful given that I’m 61 and that the light at the end of the tunnel right now looks decades away.