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After being excluded from the finals last year due to the supplements scandal, all Essendon wanted to do was to move on and return to the top eight in 2014.
Under coach Mark Thompson, they did just that.
Thompson, who hadn’t coached since presiding over Geelong’s preliminary final loss to Collingwood in 2010, was installed as the acting head coach this year after James Hird was suspended for twelve months for his role in the supplements controversy.
Under his watch, the Bombers did not allow the ongoing ASADA investigation to distract their progress on the field, winning twelve games and finishing seventh at season’s end.
Let’s now take a further look into what went right and what went wrong for the Bombers in 2014.
Essendon
Final ladder position: seventh (12 wins, 1 draw, 9 losses, 106.3%)
Rising Star nominees: Zach Merritt (Round 11), Joe Daniher (Round 12)
Retirees/delistees: Leroy Jetta, Kyle Hardingham
What went right?
Essendon enjoyed a season of consistency in 2014, winning twelve games, drawing one (against Carlton in the final round) and losing nine – as well as having two players nominated for the Rising Star in consecutive rounds.
Their efforts in season 2014, especially with the ASADA investigation causing some uncertainty over players, must be commended. For most of the year, the players have shown great strength in not allowing the ongoing saga to affect their form on the field.
What went wrong?
The Bombers failed to defeat a top four club during the year, suffering heavy losses to Fremantle (53 points) and the Sydney Swans (50 and 22 points) while also running Hawthorn (four) and the Geelong Cats (nine) very close.
They were also the only team to lose to the bottom two sides on the ladder, suffering a 16-point defeat to St Kilda and a one-point loss to Melbourne in Rounds 5 and 13 respectively.
The loss to the Dees came not only after the Bombers led by more than five goals in the third quarter, but also after they had won the corresponding fixture last year by 148 points.
Best win: Round 3 versus Carlton at the MCG (won 21.12 (138) to 8.9 (57))
As far as victories over the old enemy Carlton go, this one has got to rank as among the most satisfying for Bombers fans who always go into argument with the Blues counterparts before matches between the two sides.
In a stunning first half, the Bombers kicked the first seven goals of the game before Carlton kicked their first major eight minutes into the second quarter. Mark Thompson’s men would not relent for the rest of the match, cruising to their biggest victory over the Blues since 2005.
It was also somewhat sweet revenge for the Bombers, who last year were disqualified from the finals series due to the supplements scandal.
It was Carlton, whose season appeared to be ended by the red-and-black in the penultimate round of last year, that snuck into the eight.
Worst loss: Round 4 versus Fremantle at Patersons Stadium (lost 9.6 (60) to 18.5 (113))
Just seven days after the Bombers thrashed the Blues on the Sunday night stage, they crashed to their worst defeat for the season. They went down to Fremantle by 53 points at Patersons Stadium.
Veterans Paul Chapman and Dustin Fletcher could not make the trip west due to varying injuries, while Brendon Goddard suffered a groin injury in the second quarter and had to be subbed out.
This came amidst a competitive first half, before the Dockers unleashed in the second half in the unrelenting Perth heat, scoring twelve goals to five. The Bombers could only manage 30 inside-50s for the entire match.
The future
With James Hird’s twelve-month suspension for his role in the supplements saga over, the former Essendon captain has now resumed full duties at the club with Mark ‘Bomber’ Thompson having stepped aside.
Bomber’s future at the club still remains uncertain, though it’s hoped that he will remain there and resume his normal role of being assistant to Hird.
Paddy Ryder has announced that he is intent on leaving the Bombers, possibly bound for the Brisbane Lions, while a number of clubs have circled around Jake Carlisle as well.
Leroy Jetta and Kyle Hardingham have also left the club, in pursuit of opportunities elsewhere.
The Bombers should have a good look at GWS pair Kristian Jaksch and Sam Frost, who have informed their club that they are seeking to return home to Victoria. They might also be interested in disgraced Carlton pair Mitch Robinson and Jeff Garlett, but it’s unlikely the Bombers will consider them.
The return of James Hird as the senior coach will cause interest in how the Bombers will perform on the field in 2015, but if their performances this year is anything to go by, then their fans will enter next year feeling confident that the players will continue to deliver on the field, whatever the circumstances.
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