Essendon brutally mocked after setback to top-10 draftee Sullivan Robey

AFL club Essendon have been brutally mocked after a setback to their prized draftee Sullivan Robey.

Robey, who was just snapped up by the Bombers with Pick 9 in the national draft, is dealing with a back issue and will now have his training loads scaled down in a bid to return to full fitness ahead of the season proper.

It has been reported that Robey, 18, had been managing some back stress in the months before joining Essendon.

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And now the club will take a cautious approach with 192cm midfielder-forward who was one of the big stories of the draft after bolting up the board.

The Bombers were engulfed in a cruel injury crisis this year which resulted in the departure of high performance boss Sean Murphy, saw them slide down the ladder with a 13-game losing streak, and forced them into blooding a record 15 debutants.

So AFL fans were unforgiving when the Robey news emerged on Thursday, despite the fact he had the issue before the draft.

“Things that are certainties in life – Death, Taxes and the Essendon curse,” one fan said after Robey’s back issue became public.

While another unfairly added: “Man, when it comes to ruining players, Essendon work fast.”

Another fan said: “The Essendon curse continues. Honestly inject it into my veins.”

And another: “Step 1, join Essendon. Step 2, get injured and stall your career. Step 3, get traded and come good.”

And another: “That is so Essendy … blokes been there 5 minutes and already injured.”

The roasting went into overload from supporters and rival fans.

“Cal, can you just relax with Essendon injury updates, just trying to enjoy my summer,” one Bombers fan said, addressing AFL reporter Cal Twomey.

While another fan wondered: “Surely the kid had to do a medical before getting drafted…”

It is a blow for Essendon supporters who are hoping to climb up the ladder in 2026 after this year’s injury nightmare.

But they have already had another scare when gun ball-magnet Nic Martin, who is returning from an ACL injury, slipped at training.

Martin had scans after the mishap and frustrated fans are eagerly awaiting for an update.

Essendon, along with Collingwood and Carlton, have won the most premierships in AFL/VFL history with 16 flags, and have a huge dormant supporter base.

But they are a fading powerhouse in the 21st century, with their last flag coming in 2000 and their last finals win in 2004.