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Sport Nation
The Live Sport Bible is here!Why the "broken" Bombers deserve the AFL's assistance
Mark Duffield • June 6th, 2026 6:23 pm
Essendon have formally asked for a draft assistance package from the AFL and will carry out talks with the league in the coming weeks to work out what form that assistance should take.
As far as I am concerned – they should absolutely get assistance. AFL clubs and their supporters are the greatest bunch of imbys (in my back yard) you can imagine. Yes, that’s imbys, not nimbys. When it comes to anything that might help them they are the absolute opposite to those that oppose development or infrastructure near their homes.
It’s yes, definitely in my back yard – when it comes to allowing them in someone else's back yard all hell breaks loose.
The Bombers are broken. Maybe they wouldn’t look quite as broken without the injuries but they are broken nonetheless. They have just sacked their coach. Let’s remove the whole question of whether to Hird or not to Hird from this debate.
Essendon’s list is poor, they are about to confront the draft concessions given to Tasmania – they need help or we are looking at a club anchored to the bottom for several seasons.
Is it self inflicted – mainly. There have been injuries – and plenty of them. Two of their three top 10 picks from the 2020 National Draft – Nik Cox and Zach Reid have experienced significant injury issues.
Their best defender Jordan Ridley has played 106 games in eight and a half seasons in the competition and has not managed more than 10 in either of the last two completed seasons. He has played just two of his team’s 12 this year so will struggle to get to 10 again.
The already wrecked Essendon team that had just sacked Brad Scott came to Perth without Ridley and also forward ruck Peter Wright, captain Andrew McGrath, midfielder Sam Durham, defender Mason Redman and utility Matt Guelfi. They lost forward Archer May early in the match.
West Coast’s list collapse included a long injury list and misses in recruiting – like the Bombers a mix of misfortune and self inflicted misadventure. People screamed foul when the previously successful Eagles were granted draft concessions.
I am sure there will be similar opposition to Essendon. The AFL should ignore the outcry and get on with helping the Bombers become competitive again.
So much of the AFL is about brand protection – helping Essendon or any other struggling club bounce a little more quickly is good for the brand so get on with it.
Let’s not be hypocrites about this. Let’s not wince and moan about a struggling club getting a leg up because so many clubs receive leg ups of some shape or form.
Collingwood? Their 2023 flag team had three father sons – all guns. The same people who whinged about West Coast’s draft concessions just a few years after their 2018 flag had no issues with Collingwood getting their best player – Nick Daicos under the father/son rule even less years after the Pies had played in that famous grand final.
Brisbane? Please let’s not get started – three gun father sons in 2025 – one won his second Norm Smith Medal – and then there are their academy picks – the Lions moved smoothly from flag celebrations to the draft where they look top five pick Dan Annable in the top five.
The Gold Coast? Finalists last year with several academy picks on board and more arriving at an alarming rate.
The AFL is the most unequal equalized competition imaginable so when a team hits the bottom and threatens to stay there – lets do something about it. They constantly prop up Northern states teams because it is good for the code. It is good for footy in WA for West Coast to show signs they are starting the climb back up the ladder.
It is not good for footy for any club – let alone a big one like the Bombers to be stuck at the bottom. As long as the AFL is just as happy to move as quickly for other clubs its not a problem. It's called consistency. The league should look it up in the dictionary and help the Bombers out.
