Essendon’s Struggles Continue: Analysis of Port Adelaide Loss & Bulldogs’ Rise
Losing was not unexpected for Essendon. Sadly, it rarely is. Losing in the manner they did to North Melbourne, yet, was a surprise – albeit a mild one. This is, after all, Essendon in 2026.
Perhaps North Melbourne are not as poor as previously thought, and Port Adelaide may have been underestimated last week. But the clear takeaway is that no one, not even within the Essendon camp, believes they are a genuinely good team at this stage. The five-goal final quarter, and Nate Caddy’s individual brilliance, do little to change that fundamental assessment.
Few expected Essendon to be competitive this year. But did anyone anticipate a performance where they would kick only two goals in a half and fall nearly ten goals behind against a team unlikely to feature in the finals? They were supposed to have regained key players, yet their return has had little impact, and the injury list continues to grow.
The familiarity of the defeat is a depressing sight for Bombers fans. Essendon have struggled to keep opponents under 100 points since the mid-season bye last year, losing all four games where they managed to do so. Teams consistently find them easy to score against.
The Essendon schedule, as outlined in February, appeared favorable initially, with winnable matches against North Melbourne and Port Adelaide. However, the latter half of the season looks significantly more challenging, with six of their final seven games against teams expected to be competing in the top four – Brisbane, GWS, Hawthorn, Adelaide, Geelong, and Sydney, concluding with a match against Port Adelaide.
A football insider suggested that the decision not to trade Zach Merrett last off-season, and forgo the potential of three first-round draft picks, now appears questionable. While the reasoning at the time was understandable, the on-field results are increasingly difficult to ignore.
The club administration may have been united in their commitment to a draft-focused rebuild, but that unity will be tested with each performance like the one seen against Port. And with each week, the timeline for genuine improvement seems to stretch further into the future.
The Naughton Effect
Aaron Naughton arrived at the Western Bulldogs having never played as a forward. He has spent his entire career as a forward. He has also been the subject of constant debate about whether he should, in fact, be playing as a forward, rather than in defense. For periods, it has been questioned whether he was even the Bulldogs’ best forward.
Currently, he is arguably one of the most influential forwards in the AFL, alongside Jack Gunston and Ben King, and a key reason for the Bulldogs’ resurgence as premiership contenders. In his last eleven home and away games, Naughton has kicked 45 goals, with 84% accuracy. He has also taken nine marks inside 50, second only to Gunston and King.
Naughton’s ability to land from marks and immediately apply pressure is a defining characteristic of the Bulldogs’ improved performance. His third goal on Friday night came directly from a tackle.
This is a clear indication of the changes within the Bulldogs. So too is the emergence of Buku Khamis and James O’Donnell. Khamis has been outstanding this year, while O’Donnell is finally starting to repay the faith shown in him by coach Luke Beveridge.
Oskar Baker’s Moment
First came Izak Rankine, and the shock that a goal could be scored from that position. Then came Oskar Baker, and the similar surprise that a goal could be squeezed out from the boundary line on the run. But the real surprise was that the conjurer was Oscar Baker, a player previously known only for resembling Phil Maylin. Everything seems to be falling into place for the Bulldogs.
Voss’s Fine
Patrick Voss wouldn’t tolerate someone doing to him what he did to Harrison Petty. The hair ruffle and mocking gesture about Petty’s tears were unsportsmanlike. The AFL responded with a fine. Whether such incidents should be penalized, or considered part of the game’s theatre, is debatable. What is clear is that it was a classless act.