Essendon will be looking to upset a struggling Collingwood side in this weekend’s 30th Anzac Day clash.
The Pies lead overall with 17 wins, the Bombers holding onto 11 with two draws in the midst since its introduction in 1995.
A slow start to the season left fans with their heads in their hands once again at Essendon, but the last few weeks have shown promise that if they aren’t going to make a push for finals, they will at least be an entertaining team looking to disrupt contenders’ seasons.
Their first win over Melbourne in a dominant fashion has certainly been a highlight for 2026 at the Bombers so far, but last week’s match despite a loss to the Suns is giving the side confidence heading into the weekend’s blockbuster.
Losing to fourth placed Gold Coast by only nine points, Essendon kicked 100 points for the first time since round 2 last year, and showed plenty of signs of a gelled midfield and efficient forward line.
Former Bombers captain and premiership player Gary O’Donnell joined Sports Breakfast this morning.
“The Melbourne win was an even better win after we saw Melbourne beat Brisbane on the weekend… It’s a big game this weekend and there’s still a big month of tough opponents to come,” he said.
“Last week against the Gold Coast, it was a good performance, but we still had over 100 scored against us and lots of scoring shots. If they had been straighter in the first half, it might’ve been 130 or 140. So it’s important to get that in order, calling out a high scoring team.
“Collingwood aren’t a high scoring team at the moment, so if they come out and score 100 against us, that’s when we’ve got problems.”
Despite tension around Zach Merrett and his trade request to Hawthorne while sitting at the helm of the Bombers last year, he has had a solid start to 2026 outside of the leadership group.
Averaging 27 disposals at 75 per cent efficiency and 7.2 score involvements, he was Essendon’s highest rated player and the highest rated player of the match on the weekend with 151 fantasy points.
“Considering what happened in the preseason, it’s been a pretty good start… Certainly the last couple of weeks he’s come to the floor, so he’s got to test himself and keep that performance up for the rest of the year.”
Albeit a rough past couple of years leading the group, Brad Scott could potentially be turning this young side around, with O’Donnell believing he still is the right man for the job.
“There’s too much disruption continually changing coaches.”
“You’re constantly coming up with consistent performances to keep people at bay. You can’t afford to have really bad performances that have the wolves knocking at the door, so the proof will be in the pudding.”
Saturday’s clash will be a pressure test for the Bombers but certainly a great opportunity to upset.
IMAGE: Getty Images