MOVING FORWARD

So close…

In a game of four quarters, the Bombers played three. It sucks, but hey, it’s certainly not the worst thing to happen to the red and black faithful in season 2025. It’s not even the worst thing to happen to us this month!

That title goes to the haunted burial ground below the Hangar.

So yeah, the Suns loss was tolerable in comparison.

For the most part, Essendon’s 41 pt loss to the Gold Coast Suns on Saturday arvo was spirited - even if the car ran out of petrol just shy of three-quarter time. But that’s the nature of youth and rebuilds. Hopelessness leads to promise … and then a healthy dose of heartache. We all know what went wrong for the Dons, the negatives have been well-articulated by pundits, expert and novice alike. And we know the cattle that aren’t up to scratch, but let’s give them a week off. Besides, that’s what ‘Hot Takes’ is for!

This won’t be a long rant this week, merely a rambling. But nevertheless, I wanted to just chat for a moment about what went right, and to my eye, what looked promising.

How good was it to see Jordan Ridley back? The sight of number 14 clunking marks in the back-50 was something akin to a religious reawakening. Not the saviour of course, he wears number 7, but certainly something angelic because if it wasn’t for his steady head, the game against the Suns could have been over much earlier. 18 disposals (at 78%) and especially his eight marks for the day were pivotal in keeping the Dons in the contest for as long as they were. Ridley’s survived one outing under the roof, but now comes the tricky part … keeping the 26-year-old out there.

Sam Durham’s amazing, isn’t he?

He’s the type of player you love to watch, and then only love them more in their absence. Because boy, did we miss him over the last few weeks of footy. His run. His skill. His energy. His tenacity. His vision. Durham has always been talked about as a true bargain since being selected during the mid-season draft some years ago, but I think he’s easily more valuable than even we fans imagined.

Sam Durham has become nothing short of integral to the Bombers success and is now officially Z’s No.2.

His value goes beyond his own execution because his presence allows others to thrive, too. Zach Merrett, with 40 disposals and five tackles, was back to his mercurial best and I think a small part of that has to do with Durham (not to mention Ridley’s return). Merrett has worked as a one-man show for so long, that simply having a player of Durham’s calibre back in the side provides him so much support that I think Merrett’s game accelerates to the next level. Even with Jye Caldwell not having his most impactful game, Merrett was able to revive his earlier season form. And a lot of the credit has to go to Durham’s return.

Now let’s make sure he stays out there!

Positional changes helped a lot over the weekend, and I think fans got a glimpse of where our youth is at its best.

Angus Clarke looked clean and resourceful down the wing and across the half-forward line, even slotting a handy goal from an equally handy mark. He took five marks for the day along with 13 disposals and two tackles. A solid outing from the teen. Mason Redman 2.0 is quickly starting to show that he may have more to him than the original model.

Luamon Lual continues to impress in a way I think will surprise many fans who had watched him at VFL level. Though not an enormous accumulator of the ball, Lual used the pill fairly intelligently, especially across the first half of the contest – showing good game sense and a sharp reading of the play across the half-forward flank. Another positive outing that should lead to a new contract come season’s end.

But definitely the most exciting aspect in the club’s loss was what I think many saw to be a potential look into the future. The future of the Bombers forward line. Isaac Kako, Nate Caddy and Archer May looked pretty impressive. All still remarkably young and still learning their craft, but each proving throughout the contest that they’ve got significant upside.

Kako had his best game v Gold Coast. What else can he get out of the season?

Kako arguably played his best game in the red and black. His pressure was enormous in the forward-50 (with a total of 17 pressure acts across the match) and his running game was on, proving that he’s going to be a handful for defenders for years to come. What’s even more exciting is who may join him in the small forward brigade in the future, with several NGA prospects, including Hussien El Achkar, already bringing comparisons to the Bombers rookie small forward.

Archer May’s third quarter was pure electricity and showed why the club was so eager to nab him in the mid-season draft this year. He moves well for a big boy (taller than even Caddy) and his launch off the boot is sensation. Rarely have I seen a player make kicking a goal from outside-50 look so effortless. With two nice performances back-to-back now (two goals v Fremantle and three goals v Gold Coast), May is working into the season well.

Big. Strong. 3 goals.

Curious to see how the club handles him should someone like Kyle Langford ever return into the senior fold in ‘25. Because, speaking just for myself, I’d hate to see his progress stifled. As much as I adore Langford, I think this club needs to be focused entirely on players who can take Essendon to its next finals. And from a small sample size, May looks like someone we’d want to keep around.

Then there’s Caddy.

From the quality leads to the marks and then the goals, Caddy is putting together a decent back half of the year. Considering that the season didn’t exactly start strongly for the blonde bombshell, his resurgence and prominence in the club’s forward line is impressive.

Now, this isn’t to say he’s perfect or anywhere near it. He still has a mountain of work to do to correct some leading patterns and even his decision-making when it comes to contesting. But these things will come with time and more adequate coaching. In his second season, Caddy is proving to be what fans hoped he would be. A key forward who can mark, kick and cause serious havoc in the forward-50 for opposition back lines.

I pray we are all sitting in the stands at the MCG in a few years time watching Caddy, Kako and May annihilating oppositions deep into the finals.

A man can dream.

It’s what seasons like 2025 are supposed to be for. Progress. Ugly, unpleasant progress. A year where you figure out what your next finals-bound team is going to look like. To cut away some deadwood from the list and nurture the green shoots that look like being special. Round 17 is done and dusted now, another loss chalked up. But when the book is closed on this season, I think fans will know better than ever who is going to take this club forward.

And who needs to be sent on their way.

Go Planes.