The stage is set. The talk is all but over.

After a long 212 days, Essendon will finally compete for premiership points again on Sunday.

And after a big finish to 2018, anticipation among the Bomber faithful is sky-high.

Here's our preview for a blockbuster season 2019...

Arrivals:

Dylan Shiel (traded from GWS Giants), Zac Clarke (pre-season supplemental selection), Irving Mosquito (NAB AFL Draft), Noah Gown (NAB AFL Draft), Brayden Ham (NAB AFL Draft), Tom Jok (rookie draft) 

Departures:

Travis Colyer (traded to Fremantle), Brendon Goddard (retired), Matthew Leuenberger (retired), Josh Green (delisted), Jackson Merrett (delisted) 

First five games:

GWS vs. Essendon: 3:20pm AEDT, Sunday March 24, Sydney Showground Stadium
Essendon vs. St Kilda: 4:35pm AEDT, Saturday March 30, Marvel Stadium
Melbourne vs. Essendon: 7:50pm AEDT, Friday April 5, MCG
Essendon vs. Brisbane: 2:10pm AEST, Saturday April 13, MCG
North Melbourne vs. Essendon: 4:20pm AEST, Friday April 19, Marvel Stadium

FULL 2019 FIXTURE

The boom recruit:

All eyes will be on star recruit Dylan Shiel, who will be in familiar territory for his Essendon debut. The former Giant is set to bring extra firepower to a midfield already boasting the likes of prime movers Dyson Heppell, Zach Merrett and Devon Smith. Averaging 25.9 disposals and 6.3 score involvements in 2018, the 26-year-old is arguably in the prime of his career and hasn’t missed a beat since arriving at The Hangar in November.


Dylan Shiel has slotted in seamlessly at the Bombers. (Photo: AFL Media)

The coaching panel:

Helmed by senior coach John Worsfold for the fourth successive season, the Bombers' coaching panel has been bolstered by the acquisition of former Richmond defence coach Ben Rutten, who's been tasked with improving Essendon's defensive output in 2019. The 2005 All Australian, affectionately known as 'Truck', joins fellow coaches Hayden Skipworth, Paul Corrigan, Rob Harding, Mark Harvey, James Kelly and Mark Corrigan - all of whom retain their positions from 2018.

What we’re excited about:

Blockbusters and prime-time footy. Essendon features in eight Thursday/Friday matches in 2019 - second only to Collingwood. It will be a year of milestones, with the 25th Anzac Day match, 15th Dreamtime at the ‘G clash and the club’s first-ever Good Friday game the specials in a jam-packed menu.

The fixture:

The Bombers will fly to Sydney for round one, but stay in Melbourne for 10 of their next 11 matches. They’ll have seven six-day breaks – the second most of any club - while a challenging five-day break looms between their Country Game and round eight match against Sydney at the SCG on a Friday night. Essendon will play Collingwood, GWS, North Melbourne, Fremantle and Sydney twice, while hosting Brisbane at the MCG (round four) for the first time in 10 years.

JLT observations:

The JLT Community Series offered clubs their first look at new rules, including the mandatory 6-6-6 setup for centre bounces. While the Bombers wanted to keep a few secrets, they experimented with Jake Stringer and Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti in the midfield, Dyson Heppell across half-back and youngsters Andrew McGrath, Kyle Langford and Darcy Parish in centre-square partnerships. If the pre-season campaign highlighted anything, it’s that Essendon will again be a side to fear on the counter attack in 2019. 


Jake Stringer looked in fine touch in the JLT Community Series. (Photo: AFL Media)

Injury watch:

Key talls Cale Hooker and Joe Daniher will miss the opening rounds with calf injuries, but the Bombers proved more than capable of filling the void left by an injured Daniher in 2018. Josh Begley and Martin Gleeson are also unavailable for the season opener against GWS as they continue their rehabilitation from long-term injuries, while promising youngster Mason Redman is building towards full fitness after suffering a significant ankle injury in the early stages of pre-season. 

What you may not know:

Essendon will enter the 2019 season as the second-least experienced side and the only club without a 200-game player. Despite the inexperience, Essendon’s under-23 brigade has huge upside, with Andrew McGrath, Kyle Langford, Darcy Parish, Aaron Francis, Jordan Ridley and Josh Begley among those striving for breakout seasons. 

Who to look out for:

Approaching his third season in the red and black, Andrew McGrath has shown why he’s been touted as the player to watch by his teammates. The former No.1 draft pick shone with more midfield exposure in the JLT Series, averaging 24 disposals and a goal. Emerging defender Jordan Ridley was another to impress, poised to feature more prominently in 2019 after outstanding pre-season performances against Carlton and Geelong. All eyes will be on Aaron Francis, too – one of the league’s most exciting prospects who produced a golden month of footy at the end of 2018 before enjoying a smooth pre-season.

Final words from the coach and skipper:

Senior coach John Worsfold: “We were a bit disappointed that things didn’t jell perfectly in the JLT, but the upside of that is that we learnt the parts of what we’ve been trying to teach the players that they didn’t quite get. We’ve addressed that and we’re ready to go. We want to excel in our preparation and effort week to week and make our people proud. We’ve worked extremely hard this pre-season to be brilliantly prepared, and we’re all confident that we are. Now we just have to enjoy the ride.” 

Captain Dyson Heppell: “The cultural side of things has really grown this pre-season. The care that we have for each other is huge. I really think that starts with the culture of the group, so I’m very excited about it. We’ve improved a hell of a lot in our game throughout pre-season. That didn’t play out in the JLT, but I’ve got no doubt we’ll come out ready to fire in round one.”

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