Essendon was one of the four new teams that entered the AFLW in season seven, and initial expectations were pretty high, both from us and the general media and supporter bases.
Arguably, the Dons went the hardest into recruiting in comparison to the other three expansion clubs, bringing in genuine stars of the competition like Maddy Prespakis from Carlton, Bonnie Toogood from the Bulldogs and Steph Cain from Fremantle to lead the side’s fledgling season.
That said, they were ultimately the most successful of the expansion teams, finishing with a 4-6 record, despite a stretch of games that saw them lose four in a row mid-season.
A3’s expectation heading into the season
The general consensus amongst us at A3 was that the Bombers would be the best, or at least the second best of the expansion teams. We pinpointed weaknesses in the backline and midfield depth, and had some question marks over a few recruits who had been spotty across their careers, but their draft class certainly excited us and gave us high hopes for the style of footy they would play.
The Reality
Kicking off the season with a resounding win over Hawthorn on a memorable night at Marvel Stadium, Essendon looked potentially poised to even exceed our optimistic predictions, and possibly push for finals. Despite narrow losses to the Blues and Tigers, a record-breaking win over the Eagles had the Dons sitting 2-2 after their first four rounds, in the top eight.
Paige Scott earned herself a Rising Star nomination in her debut and silenced the Eagles’ faithful two weeks later, Steph Wales broke out with a three goal performance, while the likes of Prespakis, Cain, Toogood and Cat Phillips led from the front.
The good times wouldn’t last though, as the Bombers only won two games after that, with both coming in the final three rounds against Sydney and Port Adelaide. The former of those two victories was anything but convincing, even sparking a goal umpiring controversy.
But despite this, many players both young and experienced showed plenty of potential even through the most disappointing losses such as those against eventual grand finalists Brisbane and Melbourne. Top draft pick Amber Clarke grew into her game as the season wore on, Daria Bannister developed into a true forward/midfielder hybrid, and Ash Van Loon showed massive potential as a key defender.
An overreliance on the star players did weigh the Bombers down at times, often looking to Prespakis or Toogood as the only ones capable of bringing a spark to games getting out of their control.
Stats That Matter
The game over in the west against the Eagles demonstrated Essendon’s strength right out of the gate – the power of the forward line. The club broke a first half scoring record, putting 58 points on the board.
Essendon would average 34.9 points a game, making the newcomers the sixth best scoring side in season seven. At their best, this was led by unselfish play from Toogood (3.7 score involvements per game), Prespakis and Bannister (both 3.2 score involvements).
Most Improved Player
A player that none of us thought much of when it was announced she’d be making the move from the Saints to the Bombers, Jacqui Vogt proved our assumptions wrong as she performed an important role week to week across every line on the ground.
The 28-year-old Vogt kicked just four goals across 17 games at Moorabbin as a forward, leaving little impression on most AFLW fans, us included. But missing just two games this season, one through suspension and one for her wedding, she proved she’ll play an important leadership role in the young Bombers’ squad.
Vogt rotated most often between the midfield and backlines, occasionally appearing up forward, when she kicked a goal against West Coast. She averaged 12.4 disposals, 4.5 tackles, 2.3 rebound 50s, 1.9 marks and two inside 50s – all significantly up on her career averages.
A special mention goes to Dani Marshall, who established herself as a genuine first choice key defender after previously being delisted by the Western Bulldogs.
The MVP
Could it be anyone other than 2020 league best and fairest winner and three-time All-Australian Maddy Prespakis?
A childhood Bombers diehard, the 22-year-old was the marquee recruit for the new side, and delivered well and truly. In addition to winning the club best and fairest, she also featured in the All-Australian team, returning for the first time since her best and fairest season.
The midfield sensation averaged career-bests of 23.7 disposals and 4.9 tackles, while also kicking a new career-high six goals for the season. Prespakis was consistently Essendon’s best midfielder week in, week out, aside from getting clamped down on by Richmond’s Sarah Hosking in Round 4.
She produced a marvelous career-high 37 disposals in the Round 7 loss to Geelong, where she tried her absolute best to put the team on her back in a game where more than a few needed to go with her.
Much like Mon Conti at the Tigers, it’s shocking to believe how much Prespakis has achieved at such a young age. We’ll certainly be enjoying sitting back and watching her for many, many years to come – hopefully including some good battles with sister Georgie.
Rating: 6/10
Some may say the Bombers deserve higher than a six, and I’m often my club’s own harshest critic, but overall their first season was a major success otherwise let down by a fairly lackluster second half. Win the close games against quality opposition, draft even more young talent and catch up a bit more to the very best, and Essendon should be primed to make a push for finals come next season off the back of a very solid foundation.
Can Essendon Reach The Top Eight In 2023?
Yes
No