Essendon vs Richmond

Almost ready, set, go.

The off-season and pre-season have felt far too long for Essendon fans, and you can only imagine what it’s been like for the players. After another spring and summer build-up that gradually shifted from endurance work to weekly intra-club hitouts, the Bombers finally got their first measurement of what has been built for 2026 against opposition, starting with Richmond.

As always in my reviews, the scoreboard isn’t the focus — even less so in a practice match.

Instead, the emphasis is on the process that creates scoring opportunities and, just as importantly, the methods used to defend them.

Here, I’ll break down what stood out in both phases, and of course, who played their part individually, and why.

The first quarter.

While these games are more about gathering information on how you’ve trained, and the changes and tweaks you’ve made, rather than setting up specifically for an opponent, if there was one concern around Essendon’s matchup with Richmond, it was always going to be how the lineup handled and curtailed the leg speed the Tigers have built into their front half, and their intent to use it. Unfortunately, the first 20 minutes highlighted this clearly.

Defending the back third will continue to be scrutinised throughout the year, whether through one-on-one contests or what happens further up the ground in ball movement, rebounds and turnovers. In the early stages, all were a concern.

At ground level, Richmond’s pressure forced Essendon to panic, at times unnecessarily, and led to overuse of the ball far too close to goal.

Too often, players chose to handball rather than kick for immediate relief, with some of this appearing structural, as forwards didn’t present as viable outlets, while defenders fell back into old habits of over-possessing in search of control.

On the last line, greater assertiveness and decision-making were needed for groundball.

On several occasions, Essendon’s numbers were reactive rather than proactive, allowing Richmond to win the ball first and giving them time either to release by hand or snap quickly on goal.

What compounded issues was basic execution, both in trying to link the two halves in rebounding (much of it the defenders’ own fault) and further up the ground.

Indefensible turnovers in the back half immediately forced teammates into defence mode, with two early Richmond scores coming from this, while missed targets inside 50 allowed their defenders to “put speed on the ball” the other way, aided by both inexperienced half-forwards and some experienced midfielders.

The coaching staff’s decision to start Dyson Sharp, Hussein El Achkar and Angus Clarke ahead of more established options such as Matt Guelfi and Jade Gresham was a clear nod to the future. However, having all three at once exposed their inexperience in defending the middle of the ground. Combined with the midfield’s own struggles to defend transition, Richmond were able to move the ball forward through the corridor too easily. The expected inclusion of Isaac Kako and Zach Merrett in this phase will help, but the education required was evident.

What began as a clear concern soon changed, triggered by what shapes as one of the most significant positional developments of the preseason.

Archie Roberts’ move from defence into the midfield has looked increasingly promising over recent weeks, and his interchange later into the quarter provided the lift Essendon needed defensively.

Rather than just roam the corridor like some of his teammates did, Roberts pushed wide to cover space, limiting Richmond’s attacking lanes, while also putting clamps on the inside game that both Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper had established early.

With greater congestion around the ball, the “circle work” that was the previous process became far more contested, which played directly into Sam Durham’s strengths.

I’ve continually written, preached and stamped that Essendon needs more damage in the front half, and Durham showed what he can deliver, with Essendon’s first goal from a handball receive, and then shortly after taking space in front of him and delivering inside 50 to a leading Archie May.

Brayden Fiorini’s trade showed more than promising signs, repeating everything I’d seen over the summer in his ability to get up and back in both facets of the modern game.

Max Kondogiannis, pick 36, also looked a shrewd selection in the first 30 minutes, with his appetite for the contest, willingness to demand the ball in space, and drive to move it forward pointing to a long-term asset for Essendon.

Right from the start, it wasn’t just Essendon supporters who would’ve been nervously anticipating how Lachie Blackiston would handle a mature, experienced ruckman in Toby Nankervis under the new ruck rules (I’m sure all SuperCoach and Fantasy football fans were keen to see as well).

From that first throw-up (is that the terminology I’ll be using from now on…), the leap and agility that everyone had seen and hoped for over the preseason certainly translated. While his connection with midfielders wasn’t immediate, it became evident shortly afterward, as Blackiston showed growing confidence alongside Darcy Parish, Jye Caldwell, Archie Roberts, and Sam Durham.

The second quarter.

Ball movement has become increasingly important in modern football, but both transitioning with it and defending without it still hinge heavily on initial territory won through clearance. That shaped how the next 30 minutes unfolded, and indeed much of the last 60.

Three centre clearances in a row to start the term all came off the back of Blackiston providing first possession to his midfielders below, with all three ending on the scoreboard, the bonus being they were for maximum points.

Not only was there the obvious impact, just as significant was what followed structurally, with Essendon now able to generate the game’s most valuable scoring source — front-half and mid-zone turnovers.

With poor field position, Richmond were forced to begin possession chains too far from goal, requiring extra numbers behind the ball to defend and assist their rebound.

This enabled Essendon to set up a defensive structure with at least one extra behind the ball, with a priority being to keep Richmond “skinny,” preventing switches to the open, “fat” side, and forcing them to move the ball in straight lines.

This shift altered the mindset of Essendon’s defenders, particularly Ben McKay, who moved from purely percentage-based defending to proactively intercepting and winning the ball back.

From this, the lane of attack changed through numerous players, with Zak Johnson mixing overlap run and kicking, Jacob Farrow using his vision and penetrating kicks to demand Richmond man up, and Jayden Nguyen and Saad El Hawli looking to play on with urgency when afforded space in front.

This versatility, combined with Andrew McGrath adopting a more defensive approach against Richmond’s smaller forwards at ground level, brought teammates into the game, building the bridges that were missing in the previous quarter.

Sharp, Clarke, Guelfi, El Achkar and others were now involved going forward, linking with Parish, Caldwell, Roberts and Durham, who had taken control in the middle.

With greater layers to their attack, Essendon’s taller targets found room to operate.

Peter Wright’s “sticky fingers” from the summer continued, while Nate Caddy used the extra space to test his opponent both aerially and at ground level.

The third quarter.

This quarter followed similar lines to the previous, with Blackiston again servicing his midfield at centre bounce, his teammates recognising the advantage and becoming even more aggressive with their running patterns at stoppages.

But it wasn’t just when the game was stopped.

Roberts and co consistently became links in the chain when the game was in motion, using their work rate and dangerous positioning around the ground, something a few others on the list will need to add to their game with experience.

The fourth quarter.

The second half brought several positional adjustments, though fewer than I had expected.

Jade Gresham spent more time in the midfield (he also started the subsequent VFL game in this role), while Sharp gained additional exposure around the source, showcasing his clean hands and quick decision-making.

Farrow and Kondogiannis got precious wing minutes, Vigo Visentini continued his development with more ruck opportunities, and Clarke shifted from forward to defence.

Plus.

There’s a good amount of positives from what you’ve just read — both from individuals, whose preseason build-up, form, and improvements were clearly on display, and from the team’s pivot to a different game style, which should allow players to better showcase their full potential.

While it’s difficult to measure the physical toll of a 120-minute late-February hitout relative to the broader competition, there were no obvious signs of fatigue or cramping despite the warm conditions. Some players, in particular, appeared to play more time on ground, especially when compared to Richmond’s rotations.

Minus.

There’s no need to overreact at this stage of the year, but a few trends were noticeable beyond the early issues.

Slow starts hindered Essendon on far too many occasions last year, forcing adjustments to the default game plan. Stamping your brand on the opposition from the first moments, and asking questions of their preferred style, would certainly help.

As you know, my focus isn’t the scoreboard — it’s the process. While it was pleasing that Essendon only conceded five goals across the final three quarters after allowing five in the opening term, the real issue was the timing of those scores and, more importantly, the attitude shown in those moments.

Too many of Richmond’s opportunities came in “red time,” exacerbated by decisions made with ball in hand late in the quarter.

Some of the kicks exiting the back third were too central, making them harder to defend.

These situations highlight the need to better execute 2–3–4 minute late-quarter scenarios, controlling tempo rather than simply maintaining aggression.

In the end.

It’s a start, regardless of opposition or scoreboard, but bigger battles lie ahead. Let’s hope the progression from here continues in a positive direction.

Go Bombers!

*Once again, big shout-out, appreciation, and credit to Charlie (Caddy Shack @CharlieDons on X) for his photos.

For more pics from friday’s match sim and past training, Charlie can be found on X here:

https://x.com/charliedons?s=21&t=L4mpm7shJJYGHL-jgpWWBw