Don The Stat

Don The Stat Countdown to Season 2026 - 9 Days to Round 1

We are officially 9 days out from Essendon’s Round 1 clash with Hawthorn, under lights at the MCG on March 13 and between now and then, we’re doing something a little bit different.Leading into the 2025 Season, we counted down our Top 100 Essendon players since 1980.In 2026, we’re kicking off a daily countdown to Round 1, 2026 but instead of just ticking off days on a calendar, we’re counting them down through Essendon’s guernsey numbers.
Who wore it first.Who wore it most.Which Premiership players pulled it on.Brownlow winners, club legends, cult heroes, and sometimes the obscure one-gamer that still forms part of the story.
 
By the time we get to Number 1, we’ll be on the eve of Round 1 — and we’ll have walked through more than a century of Essendon history, one jumper at a time.
 
We’ll be back tomorrow for Day 8 and Guernsey Number 8.
_______________________
Links:
Don The Stat Website | The Official Home of Don The Stat Don The Stat Patreon
Don The Stat on Facebook 
Don The Stat on Instagram 
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Jono / Ian 

Don The Stat Countdown to Season 2026 - 10 Days to Round 1

We are officially 10 days out from Essendon’s Round 1 clash with Hawthorn, under lights at the MCG on March 13 and between now and then, we’re doing something a little bit different.Leading into the 2025 Season, we counted down our Top 100 Essendon players since 1980.In 2026, we’re kicking off a daily countdown to Round 1, 2026 but instead of just ticking off days on a calendar, we’re counting them down through Essendon’s guernsey numbers.
Who wore it first.Who wore it most.Which Premiership players pulled it on.Brownlow winners, club legends, cult heroes, and sometimes the obscure one-gamer that still forms part of the story.
 
By the time we get to Number 1, we’ll be on the eve of Round 1 — and we’ll have walked through more than a century of Essendon history, one jumper at a time.
Guernsey Number 10 stands as one of the most powerful symbols in Essendon history.
We’ll be back tomorrow for Day 9 and Guernsey Number 9.
_______________________
Links:
Don The Stat Website | The Official Home of Don The Stat Don The Stat Patreon
Don The Stat on Facebook 
Don The Stat on Instagram 
Follow Us on X / Twitter
Jono / Ian 

Don the Stat Countdown to 2026 - 11 Days to Round 1

We are officially 11 days out from Essendon’s Round 1 clash with Hawthorn, under lights at the MCG on March 13 and between now and then, we’re doing something a little bit different.Leading into the 2025 Season, we counted down our Top 100 Essendon players since 1980.In 2026, we’re kicking off a daily countdown to Round 1, 2026 but instead of just ticking off days on a calendar, we’re counting them down through Essendon’s guernsey numbers.
Who wore it first.Who wore it most.Which Premiership players pulled it on.Brownlow winners, club legends, cult heroes, and sometimes the obscure one-gamer that still forms part of the story.
 
By the time we get to Number 1, we’ll be on the eve of Round 1 — and we’ll have walked through more than a century of Essendon history, one jumper at a time.
 
We’ll be back tomorrow for Day 10 and Guernsey Number 10.
_______________________
Links:
Don The Stat Website | The Official Home of Don The Stat Don The Stat Patreon
Don The Stat on Facebook 
Don The Stat on Instagram 
Follow Us on X / Twitter
Jono / Ian 

Practice Match Reality Check: Saints Expose the Gaps | First Thoughts (Public Episode)

Our unbeaten pre-season run is over.
In our final hit-out before Round 1, Essendon went down to St Kilda in Ballarat and this one gave us a much clearer picture of where the side is really at.
Normally, First Thoughts is exclusive to our Patreon community. But as promised for pre-season, we’re releasing this one publicly.
In this episode we cover:
❌ The Concerns
A passive midfield beaten at centre bounce (9–18 clearances)
Poor use of the spare at stoppage
Zach Merrett behind the ball – lesson learned?
An eight-minute third-quarter lapse that broke the game open
✅ The Positives
Aggressive forward-half press returns (six forward-half turnovers in the first half)
Dyson Sharp’s composure, strength and score involvements
Lachie Blackiston’s competitiveness against Marshall & De Koning
Zach Johnson’s most complete game yet
Signs the structure is holding up - outside of one costly burst
The margin ended up seven goals, but the game was within seven points late in the third quarter before St Kilda capitalised on centre bounce dominance and 6-6-6 momentum.
Plenty to tidy up. Plenty to like.
We break it down. High level, immediate reaction, no overreactions.
Full review and season preview coming Thursday.

Don The Stat Countdown to Season 2026 - 12 Days to Round 1

We are officially 12 days out from Essendon’s Round 1 clash with Hawthorn, under lights at the MCG on March 13 and between now and then, we’re doing something a little bit different.Leading into the 2025 Season, we counted down our Top 100 Essendon players since 1980.In 2026, we’re kicking off a daily countdown to Round 1, 2026 but instead of just ticking off days on a calendar, we’re counting them down through Essendon’s guernsey numbers.
Who wore it first.Who wore it most.Which Premiership players pulled it on.Brownlow winners, club legends, cult heroes, and sometimes the obscure one-gamer that still forms part of the story.
 
By the time we get to Number 1, we’ll be on the eve of Round 1 — and we’ll have walked through more than a century of Essendon history, one jumper at a time.
Guernsey Number 12 reflects Essendon’s blend of Premiership success, leadership, and enduring contribution to the club’s culture.
We’ll be back tomorrow for Day 11 and Guernsey Number 11.
_______________________
Links:
Don The Stat Website | The Official Home of Don The Stat Don The Stat Patreon
Don The Stat on Facebook 
Don The Stat on Instagram 
Follow Us on X / Twitter
Jono / Ian 

Don The Stat Countdown to 2026 - 13 Days to Round 1

We are officially 13 days out from Essendon’s Round 1 clash with Hawthorn, under lights at the MCG on March 13 and between now and then, we’re doing something a little bit different.Leading into the 2025 Season, we counted down our Top 100 Essendon players since 1980.In 2026, we’re kicking off a daily countdown to Round 1, 2026 but instead of just ticking off days on a calendar, we’re counting them down through Essendon’s guernsey numbers.
Who wore it first.Who wore it most.Which Premiership players pulled it on.Brownlow winners, club legends, cult heroes, and sometimes the obscure one-gamer that still forms part of the story.
 
By the time we get to Number 1, we’ll be on the eve of Round 1 — and we’ll have walked through more than a century of Essendon history, one jumper at a time.
 
We’ll be back tomorrow for Day 12 and Guernsey Number 12.
_______________________
Links:
Don The Stat Website | The Official Home of Don The Stat Don The Stat Patreon
Don The Stat on Facebook 
Don The Stat on Instagram 
Follow Us on X / Twitter
Jono / Ian 

Don The Stat Countdown to Season 2026 - 14 Days to Round 1

We are officially 14 days out from Essendon’s Round 1 clash with Hawthorn, under lights at the MCG on March 13 and between now and then, we’re doing something a little bit different.Leading into the 2025 Season, we counted down our Top 100 Essendon players since 1980.In 2026, we’re kicking off a daily countdown to Round 1, 2026 but instead of just ticking off days on a calendar, we’re counting them down through Essendon’s guernsey numbers.
Who wore it first.Who wore it most.Which Premiership players pulled it on.Brownlow winners, club legends, cult heroes, and sometimes the obscure one-gamer that still forms part of the story.
 
By the time we get to Number 1, we’ll be on the eve of Round 1 — and we’ll have walked through more than a century of Essendon history, one jumper at a time.
Guernsey Number 14 - has been worn by Premiership players, durable servants, and modern stars. A number that continues to carry weight at Essendon.
We’ll be back tomorrow for Day 13 and Guernsey Number 13.
_______________________
Links:
Don The Stat Website | The Official Home of Don The Stat Don The Stat Patreon
Don The Stat on Facebook 
Don The Stat on Instagram 
Follow Us on X / Twitter
Jono / Ian 

Pre-Season Patreon Q&A: List Balance, Free Agents & Can We Win a Final in 2026?

The Bombers are undefeated in 2026…after one practice match.
Ahead of the season, we jumped on with our Patreon subscribers for a live pre-season Q&A and tackled the big questions shaping Essendon’s year.
We covered:
Where to play Zach Merrett for maximum impact 🏃‍♂️
The Ridley injury debate and backline balance
Why we’re more bullish on Essendon than Richmond in 2026
Scores from turnover and the stat we don’t talk about enough
If we could go all-in on one free agent…
Whether this list is capable of winning a final
And the big one. Can Brad Scott take Essendon to September success?
Thanks to our Patrons for jumping on live
Mid-season bye Q&A coming up later in the year.
Stay safe. Go Dons. 🔴⚫️
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Watch 'The Moment that Mattered' and listen to our Post Match First Thoughts exclusively on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/donthestat
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Don The Stat Countdown to 2026 - 15 Days to Round 1

We are officially 15 days out from Essendon’s Round 1 clash with Hawthorn, under lights at the MCG on March 13 and between now and then, we’re doing something a little bit different.Leading into the 2025 Season, we counted down our Top 100 Essendon players since 1980.In 2026, we’re kicking off a daily countdown to Round 1, 2026 but instead of just ticking off days on a calendar, we’re counting them down through Essendon’s guernsey numbers.
Who wore it first.Who wore it most.Which Premiership players pulled it on.Brownlow winners, club legends, cult heroes, and sometimes the obscure one-gamer that still forms part of the story.
 
By the time we get to Number 1, we’ll be on the eve of Round 1 — and we’ll have walked through more than a century of Essendon history, one jumper at a time.
 
We’ll be back tomorrow for Day 14 and Guernsey Number 14.
_______________________
Links:
Don The Stat Website | The Official Home of Don The Stat Don The Stat Patreon
Don The Stat on Facebook 
Don The Stat on Instagram 
Follow Us on X / Twitter
Jono / Ian 

Don The Stat Countdown to 2026 - 16 Days to Round 1

We are officially 16 days out from Essendon’s Round 1 clash with Hawthorn, under lights at the MCG on March 13 and between now and then, we’re doing something a little bit different.Leading into the 2025 Season, we counted down our Top 100 Essendon players since 1980.In 2026, we’re kicking off a daily countdown to Round 1, 2026 but instead of just ticking off days on a calendar, we’re counting them down through Essendon’s guernsey numbers.
Who wore it first.Who wore it most.Which Premiership players pulled it on.Brownlow winners, club legends, cult heroes, and sometimes the obscure one-gamer that still forms part of the story.
 
By the time we get to Number 1, we’ll be on the eve of Round 1 — and we’ll have walked through more than a century of Essendon history, one jumper at a time.
Guernsey Number 16 - has been worn by Premiership players across multiple eras and now sits firmly in the hands of Essendon’s next generation.
We’ll be back tomorrow for Day 15 and Guernsey Number 15.
_______________________
Links:
Don The Stat Website | The Official Home of Don The Stat Don The Stat Patreon
Don The Stat on Facebook 
Don The Stat on Instagram 
Follow Us on X / Twitter
Jono / Ian