Don The Stat

🔴⚫️ ESSENDON v CARLTON PREVIEW IS LIVE 🔴⚫️

It doesn’t matter where these clubs sit on the ladder.

It doesn’t matter who’s coaching.

Essendon vs Carlton still matters.

This week on Don The Stat, we review Dean Solomon’s first game in charge, discuss the Bombers’ AFL assistance request, and break down how Essendon can challenge a Blues side that has suddenly found form under Josh Fraser.

Plus:
🏉 Nick Bryan’s emergence as a genuine AFL ruck
🏉 The fallout from West Coast
🏉 Selection dilemmas
🏉 Match-ups and tactics for Sunday night at the MCG

Can the Bombers respond against their oldest rival?

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

At times like this, it's hard not to be reflective. We certainly were, and it reminded us of just what supporting this club really means.

The thousands and thousands of loyal, passionate fans, from all walks of life, different stories, connected by the sash that runs across our chest.

It was our pleasure to be able to bring some of these to life. We really do have the best fans in the world.

(It's a long read).

Feel free to share your story in the comments.

What This Week Reminded Me About Essendon A personal reflection on what it means to support Essendon through difficult times. Don The Stat explores community, loyalty, resilience and why the Essendon Football Club is about far more than wins and losses.

It’s been an emotional week for Essendon fans.

Another injury-hit loss. Brad Scott’s departure. Dean Solomon stepping into the senior coaching role. Endless media noise. Plenty of frustration, sadness and uncertainty.

But this episode is also about what makes Essendon…Essendon.

The people. The stories. The community that keeps fronting up no matter how hard things get.

On this week’s Don The Stat Match Preview, we unpack:
▪️ Brad Scott’s sacking and what comes next
▪️ The long-term rebuild and list strategy
▪️ Darcy Parish’s massive Dreamtime performance
▪️ Kane Cornes earning a Barrett Award nomination
▪️ Jaxon Artemis joining the club via the MSD
▪️ What to expect against West Coast in Perth
▪️ The tactical changes we want to see under Dean Solomon

It’s reflective, emotional, analytical and honest.

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts

And once a club reaches this point, everything becomes exposed. It’s going to expose who’s there to work hard and who’s going through the motions. It will expose who will go the extra yards to improve their game and who’s looking to expand their bank balance. At its worst, it’s going to set player against player, coach against coach, fan against fan. This will be stoked by an ever more rabid media, whose raison d'etre is to feed these conflicts for clicks, outrage and relevance....

Click below for more. 👇

The Pit Once a club reaches this point, everything becomes exposed. It’s going to expose who’s there to work hard and who’s going through the motions. It will expose who will go the extra yards to improve their game and who’s looking to expand their bank balance. At its worst, it’s going to set pl...

Dreamtime at the ‘G is here. 🖤❤️💛

The Bombers head into one of the biggest nights on the AFL calendar under pressure after another tough loss, with questions around contest, starts, injuries and the direction of the club dominating the week.

This episode we break down:
📊 The Fremantle loss and why the stats didn’t tell the full story
🔥 Essendon’s ongoing first quarter struggles
📰 The Jay Clark media storm
🏥 Wright and Fiorini injury updates
🎯 Key tactical matchups for Dreamtime at the ‘G

Plus another Damian Barrett Award nominee enters the arena.

🎧 Listen now and let us know your thoughts.
Go Dons.

A 26-point lead. A young side showing plenty. Then one that got away.

This week on Don The Stat, we unpack Essendon’s frustrating loss to GWS and look ahead to an enormous challenge against second-placed Fremantle at the MCG.

We cover:

🏉 Where the Giants comeback turned
🏉 Sullivan Robey’s Rising Star performance
🏉 Dyson Sharp’s injury blow
🏉 Mid-season contract calls
🏉 Why Fremantle are becoming one of the AFL’s most complete sides
🏉 Selection and tactical matchups

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts (or on YouTube)..

It’s nearing the mid-point of Season 2026 and we’ve decided to have a look at our list of uncontracted players and what it means for them looking towards 2027 and beyond.

⭐️ Remember to subscribe to us over at YouTube. Go Dons.

Essendon 2026 Mid-Season Contract Calls | Who Stays and Who’s in Trouble? The Bombers have some HUGE list decisions coming at the end of 2026.In this video, I go through every Essendon player currently out of contract and place the...

100 Match Previews later…and somehow Essendon still finds new ways to make the news.

This week on Don The Stat:

* Reviewing the loss to Brisbane
* The leaked Lions whiteboard
* Nate Caddy discussion
* Why the centre bounce numbers are becoming a serious concern
* GWS preview and tactical matchups
* Reflecting on 100 Match Preview episodes since 2022

Massive thanks to everyone who has supported the show along the way.

Whether you’ve been here since the Twitter Spaces days or found us recently, we genuinely appreciate it.

🎧 Listen now and Go Dons.

https://pod.fo/e/410017

EXCLUSIVE!

We’ve been sent the whiteboard of an unnamed media organisation where they are dissecting the strengths and weaknesses of their competitors.