Essendon midfielder and respected leader Bess Keaney has been placed on the Club’s inactive list, after the birth of her daughter in October last year.

After announcing her pregnancy in May 2025, Keaney missed the 10^th AFLW Season, however played an incredibly valued role off-field for most of the season. 

Although inactive, Keaney was again voted into the 2025 player leadership group by her teammates, continuing to provide care and guidance to the emerging squad.

The move back to the Inactive List for 2026 will support Keaney in her early months post-partum and provide her the time to return to the elite level in a safe and sustainable way. 

The Club will work collaboratively with Keaney as she navigates motherhood with her return to work over the coming months.

AFLW General Manager Aysha Ward highlights Essendon’s commitment to supporting Keaney through this important milestone.

“We are committed to supporting Bess any way we can in her return to the AFLW competition. She has welcomed a beautiful daughter and deserves the opportunity to soak up being a new mum whilst building back to the elite level."

"We have an incredible medical and high-performance team that are working with Bess very closely and we're confident that she will return to her best on field when the time is right. 

"In the meantime, we continue to value Bess' contribution off-field immensely."

With Keaney's move, Essendon will look to fill the list spot in the inaugural AFLW Pre-Season Draft, which will be held on Monday 4 May 2026.