Essendon supporters will play a key role in the club’s on-field success in 2004, according to Bombers’ chief executive Peter Jackson. Jackson’s comments came following the release of the 2004 fixture. “We play 10 games at The Dome next season and our supporters need to build on the momentum of late last season,” Jackson said. “The coaches and players still talk about the impact the crowd had when we defeated Brisbane in Round 16 last year. A packed Dome lifts the players, there is no doubt about that, and the 2004 fixture gives our supporters the chance to do just that.”

Essendon will kick off the 2004 season against the team that ended their 2003 finals campaign. The Bombers face Port Power in Round 1 at AAMI Stadium on Sunday, March 28th. The official AFL fixture was released earlier today and Essendon will travel interstate on four occasions - twice to Adelaide, once to Perth and once to Sydney. The Bombers’ will play their usual Anzac Day blockbuster against Collingwood and also meet the Pies again in Round 20 on Friday, August 13th.

Jackson said the club was overall pleased with the 2004 fixture and was particularly happy to be only traveling to Perth once. Essendon will also play 14 night matches, seven of which are home games – a testament to the club’s television rating popularity.

""Clearly we would prefer to be playing more Saturday and Sunday day matches and we have voiced that opinion over the past few years. However, it is a credit to Essendon that we are one of the most popular clubs in the AFL and draw substantial crowds and television ratings when we play at night,"" Jackson said.

""Essendon supporters proved in 2003 that they loved going to The Dome for night matches. For our home night matches at the Dome this season on average, we drew crowds in excess of 44,000. This proved our supporters enjoyed watching the team at night in the comfortable surrounds of The Dome.""

""Kevin Sheedy called supporters to arms in Round 21 against Fremantle to create a ""House of Horror"" at the Dome. Maybe Bomber supporters should trademark The Dome the ""House of Horror"" for all of our 2004 home games and create an electrifying atmosphere like what we saw this season,"" Jackson said.

Click here for Essendon's 2004 Fixture.