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Hi, I’m Ben, and I’m an Essendon supporter. Around 12 months ago, that was a dirty secret.
Two years ago, admitting the fact was setting yourself up for a torrent abuse. Now, it seems to elicit responses of pity.
However, I’m not so sure that it should.
2016 was always going to be a write-off in terms of results, and it’s easy to look at a team that’s gone 1-18 and think that everyone’s worst fears have been confirmed. To an outsider (and as a few would have you believe) Essendon’s year in 2016 has been their annus horribilis.
However, there have been some shining lights in what, admittedly, has been a fairly disappointing year for Essendon supporters. While names such as Anthony McDonald-Tipungwiti are on the lips of every footy fan (and really, who can blame them?), names like Orazio Fantasia and Darcy Parish have made this year, in my eyes, a success.
Zach Merrett will end 2016 with a Crichton Medal around his neck, and it will signal the arrival of another legitimate A-grade midfielder, something that Essendon has been crying out for in recent years. Mitch Brown has proved that if you have someone to foil for Joe Daniher, he can be the player everyone expects him to be.
Much has been made of the need to re-sign the Banned Bombers, the name given to the group of 12 currently serving out a year’s suspension. With Cale Hooker, Tom Bellchambers, Travis Colyer, Heath Hocking, and David Myers re-signing, and many of the rest set to put pen to paper in the coming months, the mass exodus that was predicted by doomsayers has not eventuated.
Most of the success stories from this season have been players already on the list, not top-ups.
Undoubtedly, my favourite moment of the year was the win against Melbourne. Walking out of the ground, I remarked that being 1-1 was a better result than anyone could have ever expected.
I fully expect Essendon to finish 1-21 this year. Despite this, they have been competitive in pretty much every game played this year – the fear in Geelong supporters’ eyes when we were pushing them during Round 4 is something I will always cherish.
As an Essendon fan that has suffered through the last four years, this year feels like the start of something different. Or maybe that’s just my red and black-tinted glasses talking.
Go Bombers.
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