Join us on Friday for the annual Dreamtime at the 'G clash between Essendon and Richmond.

One of the marquee fixtures on the footy calendar and a staple of Sir Doug Nicholls Round, the Bombers and Tigers are set for the 21st iteration of Dreamtime.

ROUND 11 

Essendon v Richmond 
7:40pm AEST, Friday, May 23, 2025  
Gates open from 6:00pm  
MCG, Melbourne – Wurundjeri 

BROADCAST  

TV*: 7plus, Channel 7, Fox Footy, Kayo, and Binge (from 7:30pm) 

*Based on Melbourne/VIC region. Click here  to adjust your state.    

THE LONG WALK NAARM 

Location: Birrarung Marr Hilltop 

Date: Friday, May 23, 2025  

 Time: 3:00pm   

The Walk to the 'G: from 5:30pm 

Be there from 3pm onwards for live performances by Australia’s leading Indigenous artists, sport and art activations and food trucks.  

Plus, you will also be able to get the latest Bombers merch and design your own banner at The Long Walk Festival.  

You can find more information on The Long Walk here.   

THE LONG WALK  

Michael Long played football for the Essendon Football Club between 1989 and 2001, being a member of two premiership teams and the winner of the 1993 Norm Smith Medal.  

Michael advocated for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cause within the AFL, taking the stand that racism had no place in sport. This then lead to Michael being one of the pioneering forces behind the racial abuse code that was adopted by the AFL in the 1990's.  

On the 21st of November 2004, Michael Long embarked on a journey, walking from his home in the Melbourne suburbs to Parliament House in Canberra (650 kilometres). He aimed to get Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues back on the National agenda, by meeting with Prime Minister John Howard. Across his walk, he was joined by many Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal supporters across Australia.  

The Long Walk is inspired by Michael Long's historic Walk to Canberra. It is an unforgettable celebration of culture, community, and unity, bringing people together to stand in solidarity with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.  

DREAMTIME GUERNSEY 

As part of The Long Walk School Programs and its strong ties with the community, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from Taylors Lakes Secondary College took part in Ganbu Gulin—which means “One Mob” in the Woi Wurrung language. This workshop focused on Dreamtime storytelling and the collaborative design of an Indigenous guernsey for 2025. 

The design symbolises the unity of the people, animals and the land in accepting each other and celebrating their differences. This guernsey was designed by two year 8 students Lucas Waddleton, Tyerrernotepanner in Northern Tasmania and Lawson Richards, non-indigenous who came together to collaborate on ideas and artistic choices.  

The gum tree represents a family tree where the circles are different groupings of people who become connected by the tree, at a gathering place of humans and animals. Gum trees or leaves are significant in Fist Nations Cultures as they are used in Ceremony and for medicinal purposes. A lot of gum trees grow in the Taylors Lakes area on Wurundjeri Country. 

Additionally, the bird footprints symbolise both animals and nature being present, with ultimately all walks of life coming together.    

TICKETING AND MEMBERSHIP INFO 

The Essendon v Richmond game will be a fully ticketed event. All members without reserved seats are required to upgrade to a seat through Ticketek and use the ticket in your Ticketek account to get into the ground. Members can upgrade using this link. 

Tickets are available via Ticketek and on gameday outside gates one and three. Reserved seats remain available and there will be no general admission areas. 

Essendon members with a reserved seat membership have two ways to access the game on Friday.

Members' physical membership card has a barcode that will allow members to scan entry at the turnstiles, however if members are yet to receive their card or prefer the convenience of using a mobile device, simply log in to the official Essendon app using your membership details to access the mobile membership. 

More information on how to use your mobile membership can be found here.   

Need assistance? Our friendly membership team will be available from 5:30pm at the Membership Hub outside gate 3. 

If you’re not a member, it’s not too late to sign up for 2025. Simply signup/renew online and then login to the Essendon FC app to access your ticket. Further information on mobile membership can be found here. 

PARTNERSHIPS AND ACTIVATIONS 

Head to gate three before the bounce and get ready for the match with Fujitsu and Dutton One. Have your chance to pocket some cool cash and prizes in the Fujitsu Cash Grab and Fujitsu Spin to Win.  

While you are there, come test your Hole-In-One skills with Dutton One – Where every drive is a winning shot!  

Dutton Dribble continues this weekend at ¼ time, where one lucky fan attempts to dribble the ball through the goals for a jackpotted 2x $500 EFTPOS vouchers! 

The Fujitsu Flame is back at ¾ time, seeing one lucky fan attempt to beat the Flame at three-quarter time to win $500.    

MERCHANDISE 

Bombers fans can grab all the latest and greatest merchandise from the Bomber Shop, located externally at gates one, two and three. If you’re already inside the ground, you can grab your merchandise internally on level one at gates five and seven, on level two at gate six and level three at gate six. Don’t forget to show your physical or mobile membership card to get 10% off at all EFC merchandise outlets. 

GETTING THERE 

There will only be limited disabled parking options at the ‘G on Friday, so we recommend looking at alternative transportation methods. The stadium is only a short walk from both Jolimont and Richmond Stations.   Click here for the stadium location.

 For permit holders, Gates 3 and 5 will be open from 3:30pm, Gate 7 will be open from 6:45pm. 

POTENTIAL DISRUPTIONS   

Train  

• From 8:30pm Friday 23 May to last service Sunday 25 May, buses replace trains on the Werribee Line between Newport and Werribee. 

• From 1am Saturday 24 May to last service Sunday 25 May, buses replace trains on the Sunbury Line between North Melbourne and Sunshine. 

• From 1:30am Saturday 24 May to last service Sunday 25 May, Cranbourne and Pakenham line passengers will change at Caulfield for Frankston Line trains to and from the city.   

Tram 

• From 12:01am Monday 19 May to 5am Saturday 31 May, buses replace trams on Route 75 between Stop 39 Camberwell Tram Depot and Stop 75 Vermont South terminus. 

• From 10pm Friday 30 March to 4:30am Monday 2 June, buses replace trams from Stop 12 Vincent’s Plaza to Stop 47 Regent Street. 

To ensure you have a smooth trip, visit  https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/journey  and  bigbuild.vic.gov.au/disruptions/special-events  to plan your journey ahead of time.