Round 23, 2026 | 18th vs 2nd: Can Essendon Pull Off the Unthinkable?

After a competitive opening at Kardinia Park, one disastrous stretch allowed Geelong to break the game open and condemn Essendon to a 67-point defeat. We review the loss to the Cats, examine the dramatic difference between Essendon’s best and worst periods, and look at the encouraging performance of Vigo Visentini, who produced 33 hitouts and 17 disposals in just his third AFL game. Then attention turns to Sydney. The Swans arrive at the MCG sitting second on the ladder, fresh from a 97-point demolition of Port Adelaide and armed with the most potent attack in the competition. It’s an imposing challenge but there may be a few chinks in their armour. 👀 We break down where Essendon can disrupt Sydney’s high-speed game, why the ground-ball battle offers the Bombers a genuine avenue of attack, and the pressure standards this young side must reach to remain competitive. Also on the agenda: 🔴 The costly collapse against Geelong 📊 What the numbers reveal about Essendon’s three coaching candidates 🏆 Tim Watson earns a Damian Barrett Award nomination ✍️ Dyson Sharp and Jacob Farrow commit until 2030 👀 Essendon’s approaches to Scott Pendlebury and Luke Pedlar 🏉 Could Bryan and Visentini form a two-ruck partnership? 💥 How do you contain Heeney, Warner and Gulden? Plus, we preview a massive weekend across the club: the VFL playing for a finals berth, the AFLW beginning its season at Windy Hill and the men attempting to disrupt Sydney’s push towards September. It’s the Essendon triple. Who’s taking on all three? 🔴⚫ ___ 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==