Community is at the heart of Essendon Football Club. From supporting local clubs and inspiring the next generation to creating meaningful connections across our community, the Bombers have continued to make an impact beyond the field.

Here’s a look back at the moments, people and initiatives that made our latest community quarter one to remember.

Challenge Game  

The 2026 Challenge Game raised $83,033.80 for children and families impacted by childhood cancer through supporter donations, partner contributions and a successful guernsey auction. Beyond fundraising, players and staff connected with families through hospital visits, a banner-making session, the Challenge Slumber Party, and a special Captain’s Run presentation where children gifted player drawings and letters. The campaign culminated in a memorable game-day experience and reinforced Essendon’s commitment to creating meaningful impact both on and off the field. You can continue to support Challenge by donating here. 

Player Players & Family Engagement  

Our Past Players and Family Engagement program continued to strengthen connections across generations, providing opportunities for past players, their children and grandchildren to engage with the Club. 

At AFL Round 17, 40 family members attended a match-day experience at Marvel Stadium, including a Guard of Honour, family activities and hospitality. The program also featured a football clinic at The Hangar for 25 children, incorporating skills sessions, player meet-and-greets and lunch with families. Past Players involved included Sam Hunt, Mark Bolton, Joel Reynolds, Ben Jolly, Aaron Hennoman, Michael Hartley, Robert Stevenson and Paul Thomas. 

At AFLW Round 6, 11 children participated in a Guard of Honour and scarf-waving ceremony at Windy Hill before attending the President’s Function. Earlier in the week, 17 children and grandchildren of Past Players attended a football clinic, player signing session and lunch with the AFLW squad. Past Players involved included Mark Bolton, Gavin Wanganeen, Ricky Dyson, Robert Forster-Knight, Chris Heffernan and Peter Whitbourne. These initiatives continue to foster a strong sense of belonging and connection between Past Players, their families and the Club. 

NGA

Come & Try: More than 130 young footballers attended our NGA Come & Try Session at East Sunbury Football Club, bringing together participants from 30+ cultural backgrounds and 35+ community clubs across Melbourne’s north and north-west. The session provided skill development opportunities, connections to the NGA pathway, and strengthened engagement with First Nations communities through collaboration with the local Aboriginal co-operative. AFLW players also attended to coach and mentor participants, while the event helped build stronger relationships with players and families across the Hume and Macedon Ranges region. 

EPA: Delivered from August to October, the 2026 Essendon Pathways Academy (EPA) engaged 95 participants (50 boys and 45 girls), including 16 NGA athletes from Essendon’s Next Generation Academy. As the club’s premier Under 15 talent program, EPA provided an eight-week development experience focused on football skill development, education, personal growth and talent identification through coaching, testing, match simulation and individual feedback. 

The program also included representative matches against North Melbourne pathway teams, exposing participants to a high-performance football environment. Importantly, eight NGA athletes (six boys and two girls) earned selection into Calder Cannons Under 16 programs commencing in November, reinforcing EPA’s role as a key talent pathway and supporting emerging athletes on their journey towards representative football opportunities. 

VFL Experience Day: A total of 32 NGA participants (14 female and 18 male) attended the NGA VFL Experience Day at Windy Hill, gaining firsthand exposure to an elite football environment. Participants engaged with coaches, staff and players, observed VFL match-day preparations, completed development workbooks, and learned about the standards, professionalism and pathways within football. The day concluded with participants joining post-match celebrations following Essendon’s one-point VFL win over Collingwood, creating a memorable and inspiring experience for both players and their families. 

Michael Long Cup (Northern Territory): Essendon supported 13 NGA athletes from the Tiwi Islands and West Arnhem at the annual Michael Long Cup in Darwin, providing opportunities for talent identification, development and cultural connection. Across the weekend, athletes participated in football, leadership and wellbeing workshops, while Essendon staff delivered mentoring and cultural engagement sessions to strengthen players’ connection to the club and pathway program. The event showcased the outstanding talent emerging from the Northern Territory and reinforced Essendon’s commitment to supporting young athletes both on and off the field. 

Victorian Wheelchair Football League 

Essendon’s Wheelchair Football program enjoyed a standout season, highlighted by the Community team securing back-to-back premierships with a 24-point Grand Final victory over Richmond. The Championship team also delivered an outstanding campaign, narrowly falling to Hawthorn by just one point in a fiercely contested Grand Final. With both teams reaching the season decider, the program continues to demonstrate strong growth, performance and inclusivity, reflecting the ongoing development of wheelchair football at Essendon. 

Hayden Farley and Mitch Stretton were both named in the 2026 VWFL Championship Team of the Year. In addition, four of our players were recognised in the 2026 VWFL Community Team of the Year: Luke Cameron, Will Taylor, Ben Milton, and Kaleb Powell. 

Scott van Gemert was selected to represent Victoria at the National Wheelchair AFL Championships, playing a key role in Victoria's successful campaign, which culminated in a grand final victory. 

AFL Cultural Heritage Series Round 23 Community Game  

In Round 23 of the Men’s season, the Club delivered its annual Community Game, this year expanding it under the AFL’s Cultural Heritage Series umbrella.  

The initiative saw the club invite over 60 cultural and community groups in its network to the game, with the chance to meet up with staff and other community groups outside the ground before the game to collect their tickets, with performers, food, and activations.  

From the groups engaged, we had 246 individual groups register for tickets and of these, an attendance rate of over 31%.  

The purpose of the initiative is to both welcome new audiences to the football, creating a cultural safe experience and create new fans. A large part of this is inclusion, so having all of our attendees sit together and participate in our pre-game scarf wave ritual aims to welcome new fans into the club.  

The initiative extended beyond the game, coming to life in the week leading into the match, with activity to celebrate the cultures of our community and players. This saw staff participate in a Discovering Islam workshop with Bachar Houli and the Bachar Houli Foundation, bespoke Mukbang content video with players, hosted by Uchitha Wijesekara from Type Media, plus several other content pieces celebrating players, including Isaac Kako, Hussein El Achkar, Saad El-Hawli, and Jayden Nguyen. 

AFLW Dreamtime  

Across Dreamtime in Darwin, Essendon’s Community team delivered Bomber Kids and Marngrook Kids programs to hundreds of children across early learning centres, libraries, schools and community settings, using football to promote physical literacy, learning, cultural awareness and connection. The visit also included engagement with remote communities and schools, while AFLW players joined sessions to inspire participants and strengthen community connections. 

The week was further highlighted by welcoming six students from the Tiwi Islands into the club environment during Dreamtime weekend, providing behind-the-scenes access to training, coaching sessions and match-day experiences. The initiative now delivered for the third consecutive year continued to strengthen Essendon’s relationship with Tiwi communities and support the development of future NGA talent through meaningful cultural connection and pathway opportunities. 

Education 

Essendon’s early years education programs continued to deliver strong community impact throughout the quarter, with 60+ Bomber Kids and Marngrook Kids sessions delivered across Victoria and the Northern Territory. Programs were delivered in early learning centres, schools, community hubs, cultural events and festivals, engaging children from a wide range of backgrounds. 

Using football, movement, storytelling and traditional Aboriginal games, the programs promoted physical literacy, school readiness, teamwork, inclusion and cultural understanding. Key highlights included activations during Dreamtime in Darwin, partnerships with VACCA, participation in the Yarning Conferences, and engagement across Hume, Moonee Valley, Merri-bek, Macedon and surrounding communities. 

Together, Bomber Kids and Marngrook Kids continue to strengthen Essendon’s connection with local communities while creating positive learning experiences for children and families both on and off the field. 

 What’s coming up: 

NGA 

• Talent ID session 

• A Talent ID Session will be held at the NEC Hangar on 29 October, providing selected 14-year-old NGA-eligible boys and girls the opportunity to showcase their football skills in front of Essendon pathways and recruiting staff. The session will also be used to identify participants for the club’s inaugural Emerging Talent Academy, creating a structured development pathway for promising NGA athletes across the region.
  
• Emerging Talent Academy  

• Following the NGA Talent ID Session, 30 boys and 30 girls aged 14 and under will be selected for Essendon’s inaugural Emerging Talent Academy (ETA). The Academy will provide participants with the opportunity to train in an elite environment, build connections with fellow NGA athletes, learn from Essendon coaching staff, and further develop their football and personal growth.
  Commencing in November, the ETA will form a key part of Essendon’s talent pathway and underpin selection for the 2027 NGA EFC Carnival Squad - Under 15’s. 

VWFL 

• Talent ID session  

• To support our list build for the 2027 season, a talent ID session will be held in November at the Hangar. For new and existing players, please contact the Essendon Football Club Community team at community@essendonfc.com.au.

AFL Community Camp 

• Essendon’s AFL Community Camp will be held in Shepparton and Cobram from 30 November - 1 December, 2026, providing opportunities for players to connect with regional communities through school visits, junior football club engagement and community clinics.   

To learn more about Essendon’s community program, please contact us on community@essendonfc.com.au.