Essendon young gun Nate Caddy made a huge splash in 2024 and looks set to thrill fans again this year. Photo: AFL MEDIA

ESSENDON
2024 record: 11 wins, 11 losses, 1 draw (11th)

THE INS
Jaxon Prior (Brisbane), Isaac Kako (Calder Cannons), Kayle Gerreyn (West Perth), Angus Clarke (Glenelg), Rhys Unwin (GWV Rebels), Zak Johnson (Northern Knights), Archer Day-Wicks (Bendigo Pioneers), Jayden Nguyen (Calder Cannons), Tom Edwards (Swan Districts)

THE OUTS
Jake Stringer (GWS), Dyson Heppell (retired), Jake Kelly (retired), Nick Hind (delisted), Sam Weideman (delisted), Kaine Baldwin (delisted), Tex Wanganeen (delisted), Jayden Davey (delisted), Jaiden Hunter (delisted)

THE STRENGTHS
The Bombers have only one true superstar on their list and that is their champion captain Zach Merrett. The three-time All-Australian (who somehow missed out on a fourth green blazer last year) has been the gold standard at the club for close to a decade now, and in 2024 became just the fourth player in Essendon history to win at least five best-and-fairests alongside club immortals Dick Reynolds, James Hird and Bill Hutchison. And he’s finally starting to get some help in the middle of the ground with the emergence of Sam Durham and Jye Caldwell in recent years, and while Nic Martin and Jordan Ridley might not be on Merrett’s A-grade level yet, they’re not far off joining him. Ben McKay and Xavier Duursma were very good recruits last year and young forward Nate Caddy appears to have the world at his feet. The Bombers might not have made the finals last year, but given they finished second in the league for disposals and fifth for marks, they clearly have something to build on because they’re getting enough of the ball. It’s just a matter of using it better and ratcheting up their efficiency. They also ranked third for tackles, which is a great sign of tenacity considering they ended up in such high spots for possession. The Bombers had a clear strategy of attacking the draft hard in the off-season, and with veterans Jake Stringer, Dyson Heppell, Jake Kelly, Nick Hind and Sam Weideman all departing, and youngsters largely coming back the other way, they now have the fourth-youngest list in the league.

THE WEAKNESSES
Last year was one of the most remarkable “Groundhog Day” seasons any club has ever produced. Fresh from capitulating in the second half of 2023 and crashing out of finals contention after being well-placed for a top-eight berth … Essendon capitulated in the second half of 2024 and crashed out of finals contention after being well-placed for a top-eight berth. It was quite astonishing to witness a team experience the same kind of torturous agony in consecutive seasons, leaving their fans tearing their hair out yet again. But when all was said done, the Bombers were a smack-bang average side, and that’s probably why the top brass adopted the recruitment strategy that they did for this year. It doesn’t get more middle of the road than 11 wins, 11 losses, a draw and finishing 11th, so the time for chasing flags and topping up is definitely over for the Dons. And it’s not surprising that the Bombers finished where they did given they had the 13th-best attack and fourth-worst defence. Synergy between midfielders and forwards has long been an issue for the Dons, and it reared its ugly head yet again in 2024 as they finished fifth for inside 50s, but only 11th for marks inside 50 and a diabolical 15th for scores per inside 50. That’s just a disastrously inefficient set of numbers. Merrett, Durham and Caldwell need more assistance in the midfield as well with the Dons finishing the year an uninspiring ninth both for contested possessions and clearances.

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ONE TO WATCH
It’s not very often that a first-year Bomber makes you sit up and take notice, especially a top-10 pick. But Caddy most certainly bucked that trend last year as he already looked comfortable in one of the most difficult spots on the ground as a big-marking tall forward. The talented 19-year-old can take a huge grab, and has plenty of tricks in his bag. Averaged 10 touches, four marks and a goal a game last year and has a big opportunity to set the footy world alight with Stringer now at the Giants.

UNDER THE PUMP
Peter Wright might still have three years left on his contract, but ever since winning the best-and-fairest in 2022 on the back of a 50-goal year, he just hasn’t been the same. Granted, a serious shoulder injury on the eve of the 2023 campaign didn’t help him, but he’s lost his ability to physically impose himself. It got so bad for Wright last year that he finished the season out of the line-up. Needs a big bounce-back campaign in 2025.

BEST 23
B: Andew McGrath, Ben McKay, Zach Reid
HB: Mason Redman, Jordan Ridley, Dylan Shiel
C: Harrison Jones, Jye Caldwell, Xavier Duursma
HF: Nic Martin, Nate Caddy, Jade Gresham
F: Kyle Langford, Sam Draper, Matt Guelfi
R: Nick Bryan, Sam Durham, Zach Merrett
Inter: Darcy Parish, Archie Perkins, Nik Cox, Archie Roberts, Jaxon Prior
Emerg: Jayden Laverde, Peter Wright, Isaac Kako

With Dylan Shiel earmarked for a move down back, and Jaxon Prior recruited to bolster the defence as well, Martin looks set to be off the hook and can now return where he is most dangerous as an attacking high forward/wingman. Nick Bryan is now the Dons’ No.1 ruckman, which means the Sam Draper experiment in attack will continue. Caddy, Draper, Kyle Langford and Bryan keep Wright out of the side and Matt Guelfi is nursing a hamstring injury, which means exciting new recruit Isaac Kako will probably get game time pretty early in the season. And if key defender Zach Reid can stay injury-free, he will be a massive addition to the backline, meaning ever-reliable warrior Jayden Laverde gets squeezed out of the line-up. Despite all the pre-season hype, Elijah Tsatas will have to actually prove he deserves a spot in the team before being included. There’s no room for Ben Hobbs, Will Setterfield, Jye Menzie, Alwyn Davey or Tom Edwards (despite his four-goal half against the Bulldogs last week) either at this stage.

*all team stat rankings mentioned are based on differentials, not totals (apart from overall offence and defence).