Essendon has fallen short to a strong St Kilda side in its VWFL round one clash.

The Bombers looked promising in their first game under player-coach Louis Rowe, with debutant Jeremy Tyndall and Caleb Logan (seven goals) combining nicely up front, while Campbell Fraser also looked at home in his first ever wheelchair football game.

After the main break, St Kilda’s height and strength posed issues, the Bombers conceding four goals in the third term to trail by 35 points at the final change.

The Dons fought back to win the final term, but ultimately fell by 22 points in a good learning experience to kick off the 2024 season.

Essendon VWFL round one score

ESSENDON VWFL  11.5 (71)
ST KILDA 15.3 (93)

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VWFL | Leonard excited for the year

VWFL Co-Captain James Leonard, talks following the VWFL jumper presentation at the NEC Hangar.

In a promising opening game, Essendon’s community (CWFL) side got off to a strong start in their campaign, defeating St Kilda by 14 points.

Josh Cattapan provided a boost to the team in his first game as coach, already equalling their win tally from last season.

Co-Captain Ben Milton scored seven goals to begin his individual season on a strong note, while Kaleb Powell also provided a scoreboard spark with three majors of his own.

Essendon CWFL round one score

ESSENDON CWFL  10.3 (63)
ST KILDA  7.7 (49)