Draft ‘busts’, breakout star exodus and Pick 1 regret: Inside Essendon’s 10 costly list blunders

How did Essendon get here?

The Bombers have come under intense scrutiny this week after consecutive heavy losses to start their 2026 season that has the club sitting dead last on the ladder.

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It’s forced Essendon to go back to ground zero after a series of misses with early draft picks this decade.

“Let’s face it, five picks within the top 13 (across multiple drafts); you could say most of them have been busts,” Herald Sun reporter Jon Ralph said.

“As a result this club that should be surging up the ladder is having to backwards again — in Brad Scott’s own language — to try find some A-grade talent.”

In the latest edition of Midweek Tackle’s digital-only show ‘Tackle The Headline’, the Herald Sun team took a trip down memory lane and ran through the 10 costly list calls that led the club down this path.

1. TOP FIVE MISS IN 2022

Jon Ralph says: “The first of course, is Elijah Tsatas: he’s not playing football, and he’s not a great kick. George Wardlaw was a pick before him where other clubs had free agency and father-son picks. Some wanted (Mattaes) Phillipou on that list, there were some that would suggest others in the list management team were very keen on Tsatas.

“You look that draft. Lewis Hayes has had some injuries at Pick 25. He might be a good player, but he’s not there yet all these years on. Then, Alwyn Davey Jnr (Pick 45) and Jayden Davey (54). It’s not just you miss your top five pick, but you effectively maybe take one adequate player out of that draft.”

2. 2020 ‘NOT QUITE THE ASTERISK DRAFT’, BUT...

Glenn McFarlane says: “The 2020 draft isn’t quite the asterisk draft, but it is a situation where they really didn’t get to look at some of the kids (with Covid). But, when you’ve got Pick No. 8, you want to nail it. Nik Cox started of reasonably well, and I think people thought: ‘This kid’s going to make it, he’s going to be a very good pick’. He just didn’t quite get it, his body let him down — he had concussion issues as well, so that’s a bit of concern.

Jon Ralph says: “The issue with him as well, was what kind of player was he going to be? Was he going to be a centre-half forward, or a star midfielder?”

3. TAKING ARCHIE PERKINS AT PICK 9

Jon Ralph says: “At Pick No. 9, has played lots of football, but none of it elite; he’s not a robust enough player. What you might say, is if they were going to have three picks in a very, very lightly-raced draft through a Covid year — maybe the decision should’ve been to push one of them back into the next year.”

4. ... THEN REID AT PICK 10

Glenn McFarlane says: “Footy clubs do live for the moment, they want the trifecta in that sense. Zach Reid obviously at Pick No. 10 hasn’t quite worked out. His battle with his body has been the issue that’s held him back. Build-wise, you wish he was stronger ... that trifecta of three selections just hasn’t worked. That can set up a footy club forever, and unfortunately, it hasn’t. He’s still got time to turn it around, and I think that’s the important bit as well.

Jon Ralph says: “We’re five years in. He had eight great games last year, got a nice contract and then has unfortunately has had a really tough couple of weeks, because there’s zero pressure up the ground.”

5. HOBBS HEADS ‘WIPE OUT’ 2021 DRAFT

Jon Ralph says: “A lot of good player after him in the 2021 National Draft: Darcy Wilmot (Pick) 16, Kai Lohmann 20, Connor Macdonald 26, Mitch Owens 33, Jake Soligo 36, Marcus Windhager 47. Nas Wanganeen-Milera went two picks ahead of (Hobbs), in a draft which the Western Bulldogs and Collingwood picked Sam Darcy and Nick Daicos. Essendon’s next picks were Alastair Lord at 46 and Garrett McDonagh at 50. Officially a wipe out of a draft only five years back. That should be the nucleus of your success, they should be turning 23 and having played 100 and flourishing.”

6. LETTING MASSIMO GO

Glenn McFarlane says: “How the hell did they let Massimo D’Ambrosio go? That’s the one I still look at now and think that couldn’t happen. He’s an elite user of the ball, he’s fitted in perfectly to the Hawthorn system, he’s played finals and played good footy. He would be ideal for the Essendon Football Club. They had him, they couldn’t keep him, they didn’t offer him enough. For the Hawks, it’s be an absolute bonus, and the Bombers have lost our again.”

Jon Ralph says: “He played well in early season games, he got dropped, he got brought back as a sub or a half-forward ... he’s exactly what they needed in terms of exquisite skill.”

7. AND PATRICK VOSS

Jon Ralph says: “Sometimes you need a hard man, sometimes you even need a fake hard man. Maybe he’s the latter, I’m not sure! But you need someone who’s prepared to stand up. Sometimes you need a distraction, you need a melee, whatever it might be, you need to stop the clock when you’re getting absolutely smashed — that’s what Patrick Voss was. He won the VFL goalkicking in his last season, he got delisted. I think he knows he has some quirks in his personality, but he was a s tough as a mallee bull, he could run all day, he wasn’t a great over head mark, but he was an aggressive forward. Right now they have Peter Wright — and it’s harsh because he’s won a best and fairest — but his form early in the season is the opposite of an aggressive forward.”

8. DRAPER WALKING

Glenn McFarlane says: “Went from being a player wow as going to commit long term, to not after that, a player that wanted out. They desperate need a player (like him), they’re trying to patch up the ruck position at the moment ... it’s been a disaster.”

Jon Ralph says: “They like Lachie Blakiston but he’s been jumped over at times, it’s going to be a long year for him. More to the point with Draper, he’s someone who brings the team together ... I totally understand the Essendon point of view, that not many players of his age who have had Achilles injuries get better after that. But right now, would you like Sam Draper running out for you against North Melbourne and Tristan Xerri? I would.”

Lauren Wood says: “I caught up with Harris Andrews at AFL Captain’s Day. He talked about, after the Lachie Neale saga in Brisbane over the summer, it was Sam Draper who got everyone onto the tennis court, had the barbecue, rallied the troops. Harris was really struck by this, by this guy who’s new to the club. He was the one who brought them together. So you can only imagine what it would’ve been like to have him there bringing this scenario together post Merrett.”

9. KEEPING MERRETT?

Jon Ralph says: “I thought they did the right thing standing their ground six months ago. I understand now Hawthorn is upset. I’m going top say, if you kept him, you had to play good enough football to build on it. They haven’t done that. But I can’t now come back and say it was a disgrace they kept him, because I think a lot of people felt they did the right thing.”

10. TAKING MCGRATH AT PICK 1

Glenn McFarlane says: “Robert Shaw said earlier in the year that Andy McGrath as captain would take the team up on his back. He hasn’t done that, and he’s a very good player. But is he Hugh McCluggage? Again, that’s draft reshaping, but gee Hugh McCluggage would look alright. And Essendon chose McGrath but absolutely loved McCluggage in that draft year.”

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