Essendon’s history is on the line for all the wrong reasons this Easter Sunday, as they try to pull off ‘Mission Impossible’ against an undefeated Western Bulldogs outfit.
The red-hot Bulldogs (3-0, 137.2%) are rolling into Round 4 fresh off their early bye and full of confidence, having beaten three respected outfits of varying degrees to begin their season.
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While coach Luke Beveridge has lost stalwart Tom Liberatore to a hamstring injury for the Sunday night fixture, inclusions Artie Jones and Josh Dolan will bring plenty of pace with the Docklands roof open for the first time during live play this decade.
Star midfielder Ed Richards was also withdrawn late with knee soreness, meaning South Australian Lachie McNeil will play his first AFL game of 2026.
On the contrary, Brad Scott’s Bombers (0-3, 61.8%) have been dealt yet another cruel injury blow, with young gun Nate Caddy ruled out through concussion. His replacement is 2025 SSP signing Tom Edwards, who returns to the field for AFL game number three after successfully overcoming an ACL rupture from 12 months ago.
Of the many statistical fascinations on the line this match, none are more daunting than the capacity for Essendon to equal their club’s record for the most consecutive losses ever — 17.
A loss tonight would also see them slip to 0-4 for the first time since 1967, and extend their awful recent record against the Dogs. Before tonight, the Dons have lost 11 of their last 13 games against Beveridge’s side.
Essendon lost their two fixtures against the Western Bulldogs last year by 91 and 93 points respectively.
The Round 4 match begins at 7:20pm local time. Watch it live on Fox Footy Channel 504), and streaming on Kayo, from 7pm AEST.