Round 18, 2026: Lions Await as the Rebuild Rolls On

Essendon heads north to take on the reigning premiers in one of the toughest assignments of the season. This week on Don The Stat, Jono and Humey unpack another frustrating loss to St Kilda, but also examine the encouraging signs emerging beneath the surface under interim coach Dean Solomon. From improved defensive structure and clearance numbers to the development of young guns like Robey, Sharp and El-Hawli, is there more progress than the scoreboard suggests? The boys also discuss: The coaching search and what Essendon's football department could look like in 2027 The debate around Zach Merrett and whether the Bombers made the right call Essendon's bold move for Jed Walter How Brisbane has rediscovered its premiership form Selection news, tactical match-ups and the keys to challenging the Lions at the Gabba As always, there's plenty of stats, analysis and honest discussion as the Bombers continue laying the foundations for the future. 🎙️ Don The Stat — Proudly supported by our Patreon community. Go Dons! ___ Watch 'The Moment that Mattered' and listen to our Post Match First Thoughts exclusively on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/donthestat Don The Stat Website: https://www.donthestat.com/ Follow Us on Twitter and Bluesky: Jono at twitter.com/JonathanJWalsh / https://bsky.app/profile/jonathanjwalsh.bsky.social Ian at twitter.com/Kyptastic1 / https://bsky.app/profile/kyptastic.bsky.social Don The Stat Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/donthestat Follow Don The Stat on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/donthestat?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==