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.
Danny D
Guest
Aransen - thanks for your response but it started to go off track. I wasn't at all trying to drag other clubs through the mud. The point I was making was; to people outside the athelete's & sporting fraternity, the supplement program at Essendon was 'exotic' and 'experimental' as illustrated by the media (or 'toxic' as Rad put it) however, the more informed you get on this topic the more you find that 'cutting edge' supplement use is widely spread and accepted within the industry. There also seems to be a very fine and distorted line of what is banned / not banned.
Radelaide
Guest
Yeah and Armstrong wasn't going to hurt himself either but it did put a strain on Ryder and his family and the mother that rang up the radio station crying obviously you have no heart.
Radelaide
Guest
Port fan here
Aransan
Guest
Danny, I believe I was having a reasonable exchange with Rad. Essendon were certainly guilty of a lack of governance. I don't believe it is helpful to raise what other clubs did or might have been doing. The important thing is that the players have been under the spotlight for two seasons with a running commentary from the media based on leaked confidential information. They have been heavily punished already for what at the most was an unknowing error on their part. This matter has to be resolved and I don't believe ASADA or the courts are going to help reach a resolution. In the finish I believe this is going to have to be decided by negotiation between Essendon and the AFL. More than a few bridges have been burned already, I believe attacking Demetriou and the AFL by Hird and Essendon has made a resolution more complex. Ideally this matter should be concluded after the Grand Final and before the next pre-season, we certainly don't want this business to go into a third season. We need maximum good will from everybody to move on from this problem.
Danny D
Guest
Radelaide - obviously still bitter about K. Tippett leaving the Crows and leaving them in mediocrity! Good luck next season Rad! I hear there's some life changing offers being put forward from a few clubs for P. Dangerfield and big Tex too!
Danny D
Guest
Rad, either you don't have the capacity to tactfully put forward your opinion without your dominant prejudicial Essendon undertone or you are simply a naive fool. E.F.C players were guinea pigs to what exactly? AOD-9604? Which has been cleared for use in the U.S or the 'calf's blood' injections? Which in 2009 Geelong's Max Rooke, Richmond's Mark Coughlan (M. Richardson also considered) or Hawthorn's Brent Guerra in 2012 also publicly conceded to using. Or are you referring to the thymosin? One version of which is legal, another version a banned substance however adada have still not been able to confirm which was consumed at Essendon. Don't be a simpleton and believe E.F.C were the only club to tow the line. What they are guilty of is a lack of governance - thats it.
Aransan
Guest
Rad, actually apparently Ryder and Hird are great mates so the problem is not anything to do with them on a personal level. Something will need to be done to resolve the Essendon supplements issue and I hope it is sorted out between Grand Final day and the beginning of the pre-season. Essendon will have to give some ground on this matter and I don't think we have a good idea yet as to how this is going to be resolved. I believe ASADA will have to be permanently sidelined as far as the AFL is concerned and I don't believe recourse to the law will help. I think the players have already been punished in a big way out of all proportion to what happened.
Radelaide
Guest
I'm just wondering if this clause has been added because it was announced that Hird would be back coaching next year after all it would be fair to suggest that players shouldn't have to play under him if they don't want to, I mean seriously if this was any other type of organization (non sporting) he wouldn't be back.
Casper
Guest
It just amazes me that everyone keeps saying that the players don’t know what they were injected with. 40 players injected, yet apparently not one of them can say what the drugs were. Watson knows that he was injected with AOD 9604 and at least one other player knows he had Thymomodulin. Why wouldn’t they know what the other drugs were?
Aransan
Guest
Rad, do you have a practical solution to the problem? Essendon have rightly been punished for their transgressions -- thrown out of the 2013 finals, fined $2m, loss of draft picks in 2013 and 2014, suspensions and fines to club officials. You seem to believe that all the players affected should be made unrestricted free agents yet at the same time don't want Essendon to die but that would be the practical affect of what you are saying. No doubt further movement won't be possible on the supplements saga until a decision has been reached by the Federal court, but this issue needs to be resolved before the next pre-season and I believe will only be resolved between Essendon and the AFL. I don't believe ASADA or the law will assist in finalising this matter and by the way, I am not a fan of James Hird.
Aransan
Guest
Casper, you keep on blaming the victim. Weren't the players entitled to believe in Essendon? You keep on giving oxygen to what shouldn't be an issue.
Casper
Guest
If Ryder was so worried then why didn’t he stop himself from being injected? Why didn’t he ask what he is being injected with? Why did he sign a 4 year contract in 2012?
Casper
Guest
Aransan – with the natural ability that he has, Ryder should be our Dean Cox, but he is not. He has had a good year, but not a great year. In fact he has never had a great year, which make him a massive underachiever.
Radelaide
Guest
They are not unrestricted free agents if your club doesn't endanger their health or the health of their unborn child, what Hird did was heinous (and should be drummed out) and it is only a sport yet treats his players like he is Mengele in the prison camps and you tell me to grow up? I don't want Essendon to die but there is such thing as OH&S.
Aransan
Guest
Rad, how would you like all the players from your club to be made unrestricted free agents regardless of their contracts. Better still apply that to all clubs and while you are at it get rid of the salary cap. Ryder hasn't left yet and he may well stay. If players can all break their contracts from a club, the club might as well hand back its licence to the AFL. There seem to be some people who think that would be a good idea as far as Essendon is concerned but wiser heads would know that would be a major blow to the competition with loss of supporters, advertisers, revenue but would be a great boon to soccer and rugby. Grow up!
Radelaide
Guest
Well Caro (who is usually spot on) said on the radio yesterday that he's definitely leaving.
Radelaide
Guest
What! for wanting to leave a "toxic" (pardon the pun) environment where they use you as a guinea pig for experimental cancer treatment drugs, surprised their hair didn't start falling out.
Aransan
Guest
Absolute rubbish Casper. You can't have watched many games if you say Ryder has been disappointing. Nearly all Essendon supporters will be hoping that Paddy can be persuaded to stay. This supplements saga needs to be wrapped up as soon as possible, we don't want this business going into a third season. The AFL and Essendon have got to find a way through this and it would be best done outside ASADA. We don't want players pleading guilty whether they are or not in order to resolve this issue.
Casper
Guest
Don't see what the difference is as to whether Ryder said it or his manager said it for him. He has been a hugely disappointing player, and is turning out to be more disappointing as a person.
Pete from Sydney
Guest
good summary of the season...almost bi-polar in its highs and lows ...second win agianst Collingwood a highlight, first loss not so much... just wonder whether Paddy Ryder actually announced his intention to leave the club ...wasn't it his manager? A small but significant difference I would have thought