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Disgruntled Dons? Why senior Essendon players are losing faith
Andrew Slevison • July 8th, 2025 9:38 am
Senior players at Essendon are reportedly losing faith with the high performance department.
Channel 7’s Mitch Cleary understands that some sections of the Bombers playing group are unhappy with the injury list which continues to grow and has plagued them all season.
Cleary says a recent training session which saw recurrences of soft tissue injuries to Kyle Langford, Darcy Parish and Mason Redman has sparked fresh worries among the players.
So much so that a player like Langford, who has had multiple soft tissue issues, could be open to offers from rival clubs if they believe they can get his body right.
“Senior players are losing faith in the high performance department at the Essendon Football Club,” Cleary said on Channel 7’s The Agenda Setters.
“They’re in the midst of a review ongoing led by the CEO Craig Vozzo that will be handed down in the next month. Decisions off the back of that will be led around the future of key members of the high performance team.
“It’s my belief that a number of players have had concerns on the back of the Saturday session two weeks ago where they picked up three repeat soft tissue injuries to Kyle Langford, Darcy Parish and Mason Redman. Then just last week they picked up the Zach Reid (hamstring) injury.
“It’s my understanding that if a club was to come for a player like Kyle Langford, who has two years left on a lucrative contract at the age of 28, he would look twice at an offer from a rival club given the frustration that has been stemming off the back of this.
“This is not a recent thing, this has been going on for some time, but it really has ramped up since that Saturday session two weeks ago.”
Cleary says there is some uncertainty surrounding the nature of that specific Saturday training session which was held on their recent bye weekend.
“There’s been conjecture on whether this session was planned or not,” he added.
“I’ve spoken to the club and they’re adamant this was always in the diary for them to come back from the bye on Friday, have a light session, then train fully on Saturday.
“The rehab guys had been at the club all week, they didn’t have a bye week, so the club is standing by the fact this has been in the diary for some time. But there has been conjecture from some parts around how hard and how much of this was planned.”
Kane Cornes believes it is a serious issue for the Dons, and wonders which sort of clubs could come knocking for Langford, or any other disgruntled Don.
“There are some serious problems going on at that footy club,” Cornes said.
“That’s big news if you’re saying that a player who has been their most dangerous forward and in the prime of his career cannot get on the park (and is thinking about leaving).
“Now other clubs are thinking, ‘Well, we can get you right’. Brisbane are saying we got Joe Daniher right, Hawthorn are saying we got Jack Gunston right, give us an opportunity to get you right because we think you can be our best forward.”
The Bombers have a lengthy injury list which only increased on the weekend when Jye Caldwell suffered a syndesmosis injury in the loss to Gold Coast that will require surgery.
The club also confirmed on Monday that rising star Zach Reid will also undergo surgery on his latest hamstring strain.
Brad Scott’s side, who sits 13th with a 6-9 record, next plays Richmond at the MCG on Saturday night.
