Essendon Football Club

Essendon has today informed Elijah Tsatas, Jade Gresham, Liam McMahon and Saad El-Hawli they won’t receive playing contracts for the 2027 season. With the departure of Matt Guelfi announced earlier, the Bombers now have five confirmed list changes so far this off-season. Gresham came across from St Kilda as a restricted free agent ahead of 2024, adding experience to a young forward half. He played 48 games in three seasons with the Dons to take his career total to 184.

Essendon has informed veteran Matt Guelfi he won’t be offered a playing contract for the 2027 season. The 29-year-old played 124 games for the Bombers after coming over from WA as pick No.76 in the 2017 National Draft, establishing himself as a reliable contributor and a late-draft steal for the Club. He featured in 15 games during his 2018 debut season and won the Club’s Lindsay Griffiths Rising Star Award as its best first-year player.

Essendon VFLW duo El Chaston and Lily Bateman have been named in the 42-player squad for the 2026 VFLW Team of the Year. The final VFLW Team of the Year, featuring 21 players, will be announced at the VFLW & VFL League Awards at Crown Casino on Monday, September 14. For Chaston, the recognition caps another outstanding campaign in their third season with the Bombers.

FREMANTLE has survived a gritty Essendon and the loss of two of its biggest stars, with big-name recruit Eden Zanker standing up to seal a 15-point win against the Bombers at Cockburn ARC Oval on Sunday. The Dockers lost star ruck Mim Strom pre-game due to shoulder soreness, while dual All-Australian defender Emma O'Driscoll was sidelined minutes into the game with an ankle injury.

Essendon has fallen agonisingly short of a VFL Grand Final appearance, going down to Box Hill by seven points in Saturday's Preliminary Final. In a prelim matchup between two of the better defensive VFL units, more than 3,000 fans were treated to a surprisingly free-flowing, end-to-end display of finals footy – 11 combined goals in a blistering first term setting the tone for the day.

With a fit and firing squad, Essendon VFL are set for a first preliminary final appearance in eight years when they take on Box Hill this Saturday. Backline coach Gary Rohan has attested the late-season resurgence of eight wins on the run to an exciting brand of footy across all lines and a reiterated focus on team defence. The side has linked and galvanised over a stretch of eight consecutive wins, including last week’s gritty interstate display in front of a hostile Tasmanian crowd.

Essendon’s VFLW Senior Coach Cherie O’Neill has announced to the playing group that she will finish up at the Club following three seasons at the helm. O’Neill’s decision to depart will allow her to place a greater focus on her full-time work and family commitments. Since taking charge of the Bombers’ VFLW program, O’Neill has played an important role in the group’s development, leading the side to consecutive finals appearances in 2024 and 2025.

BOX HILL HAWKS vs ESSENDON Second Preliminary Final Saturday 12 September, 11:05am, Box Hill City Oval. The Bombers take on Box Hill in do-or-die clash on Saturday in the second preliminary final. Essendon will be without in-form forward Tom Edwards, who returns to the sidelines having only just returned for last week’s first semi final win over Tasmania where he booted two goals. Edwards suffered delayed concussion in the days after returning from interstate. ESSENDON (17) B: J. Artemis (34), H.

Essendon AFLW captain Bonnie Toogood has reaffirmed her commitment to the red and black, signing a contract extension that will see her remain a Bomber until at least the end of 2029. A member of Essendon’s inaugural AFLW playing list, Toogood has been a central figure in the development of the program since arriving at the Club.

Madison Ibrahim’s rapid rise through the ranks will reach another milestone this weekend, with the 19-year-old set to make her AFLW debut in the red and black against Fremantle. Ibrahim joined Essendon’s AFLW list earlier this season, earning her elevation after Brooke Brown was placed on the inactive list due to an ongoing injury, in-turn opening a position on the Club’s list.