Essendon 2026 worst team this century?

[BigVic]

Even their 2016 team was better than this rabble who won 3 games with top-up players

This is by far the worst team I have ever seen in 3 decades

 

[Bipolar Bear]

No. Top ups.
But it's bad.

 

[Hank Scorpion]

Melbourne 2013 were miles worse

Or Port 2011 - 3 wins, first team to lose to GCS, lost to Pies by 130, Hawks by 160 (+ record low attendances off-field.)

 

[Shane Heard]

Even their 2016 team was better than this rabble who won 3 games with top-up players

This is by far the worst team I have ever seen in 3 decades

Just more misinformed gibbering rubbish typed from complete halfwits eating Cheetos.

11 of our players today have played under 30 games.

Wake up to yourself..

 

[Yoda_]

Just more misinformed gibbering rubbish typed from complete halfwits eating Cheetos.

11 of our players today have played under 30 games.

Wake up to yourself..

I was expecting another Hawthorn poster to dig the heels in such has become the norm on this forum

 

[Yoda_]

Even their 2016 team was better than this rabble who won 3 games with top-up players

This is by far the worst team I have ever seen in 3 decades

nuh,

after 3 rounds, sure, North Melbournes last two years were historically worse than Fitzroy's last year before folding merging.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

They're bad but I'm pretty sure we've seen worse. The inaugural suns and GWS outfits for starters.

 

[kaiserchief13]

West Coast won 1 game in 2025.....i think Essendon will beat Richmond when they play. Both teams may not have won a game at that round

 

[SC_Power]

Even their 2016 team was better than this rabble who won 3 games with top-up players

This is by far the worst team I have ever seen in 3 decades

That 2016 almost escaped a wooden spoon didn’t they?

That Lions team mid 2010’s was putrid.
Ditto the Carlton teams late 2010’s.

 

[geelong_crazy26]

They honestly still are affected by the drug saga a decade later… not in the way a lot of people think.. I don’t believe it’s caused any trauma per se… nobody is emotionally impacted by it at the club… but it’s more the clubs brand has now mud across it.

When most people nowadays think of the EFC, one of the first things they think is “drug cheats”. This isn’t being nasty… it’s just a fact. Most people tend to recall the drug saga.

I don’t think players and EFC officials have a real pride and passion wearing the jumper and walking into the building each morning for work.

They are a now stained club that carries a lackluster culture and zero performance drive.

When hawks are down.. even Richmond… Sydney… there is a passion for the jumper that I think is 100% non existent at Essendon.

 

[Del239335]

nuh,

after 3 rounds, sure, North Melbournes last two years were historically worse than Fitzroy's last year before folding merging.

Fitzroy still exist as a standalone club in the VAFA.
They didn't merge with Brisbane.
As for North they weren't even as bad as West Coast last year who only won 1 game.

 

[Cool Kangas]

West Coast won 1 game in 2025.....i think Essendon will beat Richmond when they play. Both teams may not have won a game at that round

Richmond will win

 

[WesternSydneyHawk]

They're bad but I'm pretty sure we've seen worse. The inaugural suns and GWS outfits for starters.

I wouldn't normally defend Essendon, but I would agree on Gold Coast and GWS being worse in their first seasons.

Ironically, one of the lowest points for the Suns came against the Bombers.

Round six, 2011, Essendon scored 15.4.94.

That wasn't the Don's final score, that was their score at the end of the first quarter.

And Gold Coast's score at the end of the quarter? 0.1.1

 

[Yoda_]

Fitzroy still exist as a standalone club in the VAFA.
They didn't merge with Brisbane.
As for North they weren't even as bad as West Coast last year who only won 1 game.

this is changing the goal posts,

the Fitzroy AFL team was disbanded, with a proportion of that club moving north, were they not ?

 

[Yoda_]

They honestly still are affected by the drug saga a decade later… not in the way a lot of people think.. I don’t believe it’s caused any trauma per se… nobody is emotionally impacted by it at the club… but it’s more the clubs brand has now mud across it.

When most people nowadays think of the EFC, one of the first things they think is “drug cheats”. This isn’t being nasty… it’s just a fact. Most people tend to recall the drug saga.

I don’t think players and EFC officials have a real pride and passion wearing the jumper and walking into the building each morning for work.

They are a now stained club that carries a lackluster culture and zero performance drive.

When hawks are down.. even Richmond… Sydney… there is a passion for the jumper that I think is 100% non existent at Essendon.

the drug saga may not have a stigma or anything but we have, since ASAGA, played well away from the boundaries of anything.

At the time of the saga, many clubs were pushing the limits with stuff, we were dumb enough to come forward. Think we have been scarred from that and dont like to push boundaries since then.

It's why we make the most simple and basic list management decisions. It's why we constantly make simple and narrow minded coaching appointments. Why we dont ever go away from what "we, Essendon people" know.

 

[Del239335]

They honestly still are affected by the drug saga a decade later… not in the way a lot of people think.. I don’t believe it’s caused any trauma per se… nobody is emotionally impacted by it at the club… but it’s more the clubs brand has now mud across it.

When most people nowadays think of the EFC, one of the first things they think is “drug cheats”. This isn’t being nasty… it’s just a fact. Most people tend to recall the drug saga.

I don’t think players and EFC officials have a real pride and passion wearing the jumper and walking into the building each morning for work.

They are a now stained club that carries a lackluster culture and zero performance drive.

When hawks are down.. even Richmond… Sydney… there is a passion for the jumper that I think is 100% non existent at Essendon.

You're right the drug saga destroyed the club.
Things would have been very different for Essendon if they took accountability for their actions.
Instead they played victim and tried to cover their tracks.

Look at Cronulla in the NRL they also had Dank working for them and got caught doing the wrong thing, but unlike Essendon they took accountability for their actions.
Cronulla won a premiership in 2016 while Essendon received a sanction from WADA.

It says a lot that Essendon lag behind Carlton by 20,000 members given the fact Carlton have been the worst performed team of the 21st century, and have 5 wooden spoons to show for their poor performance.
Carlton also had to deal with the fall out from their salary cap cheating, and being forced out of Princes Park to become a Docklands tenant.

When I was growing up, Essendon were respected and feared as a powerhouse while being arguably the biggest club in Australia on par with Collingwood.
Sadly there is a good chance of Essendon regressing to become a small/medium sized club similar to Melbourne.
Melbourne were a powerhouse with a huge fanbase in the 1960s but over the following decades, their gradual decline saw them regress to become a small/medium sized club.

 

[txbyhull]

Bad on-field or results wise? Because it’s hard to argue with is last year results wise. On-field they have looked stinky as **** though. Worse than any west coast side in the rebuild

 

[bzparkes]

They were horrific the first 2 rounds but at least showed some fight tonight.

 

[geelong_crazy26]

the drug saga may not have a stigma or anything but we have, since ASAGA, played well away from the boundaries of anything.

At the time of the saga, many clubs were pushing the limits with stuff, we were dumb enough to come forward. Think we have been scarred from that and dont like to push boundaries since then.

It's why we make the most simple and basic list management decisions. It's why we constantly make simple and narrow minded coaching appointments. Why we dont ever go away from what "we, Essendon people" know.

Not sure I agree. Essendon was the only club doing this, nobody else was.. I think this is a bit of the victim talk some mention.. it’s like that high school kid caught cheating on his essay or taking drugs and his excuse is “ but all my friends did too”.

It doesn’t fly well with people this lame line.
It attempts to deflect shame for the action and excuse it.

 

[Clark G]

You're right the drug saga destroyed the club.
Things would have been very different for Essendon if they took accountability for their actions.
Instead they played victim and tried to cover their tracks.

Look at Cronulla in the NRL they also had Dank working for them and got caught doing the wrong thing, but unlike Essendon they took accountability for their actions.
Cronulla won a premiership in 2016 while Essendon received a sanction from WADA.

It says a lot that Essendon lag behind Carlton by 20,000 members given the fact Carlton have been the worst performed team of the 21st century, and have 5 wooden spoons to show for their poor performance.
Carlton also had to deal with the fall out from their salary cap cheating, and being forced out of Princes Park to become a Docklands tenant.

When I was growing up, Essendon were respected and feared as a powerhouse while being arguably the biggest club in Australia on par with Collingwood.
Sadly there is a good chance of Essendon regressing to become a small/medium sized club similar to Melbourne.
Melbourne were a powerhouse with a huge fanbase in the 1960s but over the following decades, their gradual decline saw them regress to become a small/medium sized club.

A small/medium club that won the premiership in 2021. But I understand your point. Essendon in 1999 were a bigger club than Collingwood. Things have changed a fair bit since then.

 

[Purple Suit]

March Premiers are usually not the same thing as the actual ones. Same with March wooden spooners.

 

[Madas]

Even their 2016 team was better than this rabble who won 3 games with top-up players

This is by far the worst team I have ever seen in 3 decades

WC last few years ? And maybe this year if a few of their old band aids fall off

 

[CatToTheFuture]

They honestly still are affected by the drug saga a decade later… not in the way a lot of people think.. I don’t believe it’s caused any trauma per se… nobody is emotionally impacted by it at the club… but it’s more the clubs brand has now mud across it.

When most people nowadays think of the EFC, one of the first things they think is “drug cheats”. This isn’t being nasty… it’s just a fact. Most people tend to recall the drug saga.

I don’t think players and EFC officials have a real pride and passion wearing the jumper and walking into the building each morning for work.

They are a now stained club that carries a lackluster culture and zero performance drive.

When hawks are down.. even Richmond… Sydney… there is a passion for the jumper that I think is 100% non existent at Essendon.

Dodoro did more damage than the drug saga i think

 

[Hamingja]

West Coast won 1 game in 2025.....i think Essendon will beat Richmond when they play. Both teams may not have won a game at that round

Richmond have some winnable games on the horizon. Essendon have a brutal stretch where they play 6 of their next 7 against last year's top 8. They have a game against Melbourne to escape 0-10.

 

[Roobs321]

Sydney in 1992-93 lost 26 matches in a row. That’s currently the AFL-era record.

Possible that Essendon gets to 23 (Demons in Gather their most promising) and then has this softer section of the draw.

R11 Richmond MCG (24)
R12 West Coast OS (25)
R13 Carlton MCG (26)
R14 Melbourne MCG (27)
R15 BYE
R16 North Marvel (28)
R17 STK Marvel (29)