The Essendon Pathways Academy stepped onto the field on October 1 for a crucial development fixture against a combined Western region pathways side.

The match, which brought together emerging talent from across the region, was facilitated through a collaborative effort between North Melbourne Football Club and the Western Bulldogs. This partnership enabled young players from the Northwest and Western suburbs to compete as a unified representative team.

The fixture was held at Highgate Recreation Reserve, home of the Dons' affiliate Coates Talent League outfit Calder Cannons. The venue highlighted the investment of Hume City Council in providing a first-class AFL facility.

The event featured both men's and women's matches, structured to maximise participation and development opportunities. The Essendon Pathways Academy Women's (EPAW) squad which is made up of 46 players was divided into two teams, with each participating in three 18-minute segments. Similarly, the EPA men's program made up of 45 players, was split into two squads, each taking part in three 20-minute segments. This format ensured all players received significant game time while maintaining competitive intensity throughout the day.

The EPA program has been specifically designed to combine the best developing talent within Essendon's Next Generation Academy Zone, providing an introduction to pathway football for 15-year-old players before they enter the Coates Talent League. Now in its fourth consecutive year, the program has an impressive track record, with many players progressing to represent the Calder Cannons, Vic Metro, and AFL Diversity squads.

EFC Community Pathways Lead Shane Abdilla was thrilled with the day and the level of talented players on display.

"It's just fantastic for these players to be able to learn and develop in a high-performance environment as 15-year-olds, without the stress of selections, squad adjustments and other pressures," Abdilla said.

"This program is unique in many ways, but watching how fast players develop within the EPA program brings a lot of excitement to the group involved.”

Abdilla reiterated the thinking behind the program, identifying a critical gap in the player development pathway.

"There's a clear gap between developing players in community football, interleague programs and then the experience players get at Coates League level," Abdilla said.

"The thought was, 'how can Essendon support the broader growth of AFL and AFLW talent, provide an experience and connection with the aligned AFL club in their residential area, and how can Essendon link prospective NGA talent in with the wider region talent to ensure players are being immersed and seen early enough to be identified for further opportunities?'"

The evolution of the program has been collaborative, with credit going to Seb Spagnuolo at Calder for suggesting the link to other AFL clubs.

"Prior to 2025, the EPA would play a trial squad of players that Seb would collate to scout for Calder Cannons invitations," Abdilla said.

"Whilst that model was still valid, the ability to link two other AFL clubs into the initiative benefits the whole Northwest and Western side of metro Melbourne.

"The ability for NMFC and the Bulldogs to put a squad together at somewhat short notice, and compete like they did was outstanding. Worth noting, all clubs collaborated in having a Welcome to Country Ceremony with thereabouts of 180 players and staff, sharing resources like media and organising the game to be filmed for review. Given the first year of this initiative, I think everyone would agree that it was a massive success.”