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Beloved Essendon goalsneak Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti will be wearing red and black again in 2023.
The Bombers confirmed on Thursday that the 29-year old, who retired midway through 2022 after taking personal leave from the club, has signed a one-year contract to return to the club under new senior coach Brad Scott.
McDonald-Tipungwuti last played for the Bombers in Round 21, 2021, while he won the club’s goalkicking award in 2020.
“We are thrilled that Anthony has decided to come back to the Bombers,” Essendon general manager of football Josh Mahoney said in a statement.
“Anthony took time away from the club in 2022 to focus on life outside of footy. We’re comfortable he has taken the time he needs to bring a renewed enthusiasm to return to the AFL and play for Essendon.
He is a committed Essendon person who loves playing football and our conversations with Anthony recently led us to believe there was a realistic chance he would come back to Essendon.
“Once we knew he was keen to return we worked with the AFL on the right pathway back to the club including approval from a list management perspective.
Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Media/Getty Images)
“We will continue to support him on and off the field and assist in his quest to return to football. We acknowledge a lot of hard work is ahead but feel confident he can achieve his football ambitions and goals at the club he loves.
“He is loved by players, coaches, staff and fans and we look forward to him returning to Essendon.”
Originally selected in the 2015 rookie draft, McDonald-Tipungwuti made his Bombers debut in Round 1 of 2016, with the club reeling from the supplements scandal which saw a swathe of players suspended for the entire season.
He quickly became a fan favourite as a running half-back, before switching to the forward line in 2017, where he enjoyed his most fruitful period as a player.
The goalsneak bagged 34 majors in 2017, an equal career-high alongside 2021, while he managed 26 in 2018 and 32 in 2019. He also notably finished in the top-10 in the club’s best and fairest from 2016 to 2021, and as high as fifth in 2018.
His absence from Round 22, 2021 for personal reasons also broke a streak of 126 consecutive games, a Bombers record in the AFL era.
Perhaps his finest moment came in the dying seconds of the Bombers’ clash with North Melbourne in Round 17 of 2019, when he kicked a magnificent goal from the forward pocket to clinch a one-point win at the last gasp.
McDonald-Tipungwuti’s popularity extends beyond the Bombers, with Australian band Pickett Palace releasing a song about him in 2019.
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