The 2026 Essendon Football Club season is the 127th season of the Essendon Football Club playing in the Australian Football League (AFL) and the club's 152nd season overall. Following a difficult 2025 campaign where the team finished 15th with only six wins, the Bombers entered 2026 looking to rebuild under fourth-year coach Brad Scott and new captain Andrew McGrath. The club bolstered its list at the 2025 Draft by securing top-10 prospects Sullivan Robey and Jacob Farrow, alongside trading for veteran midfielder Brayden Fiorini. The club is also fielding reserves teams in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and VFL Women's (VFLW), and will field a team in the AFL Women's (AFLW).
AFL
The 2026 season has proven challenging for the club. Scott was removed as senior coach after Essendon's round 11 loss to Richmond, their 10th loss of the season, having only won one game of the past 24. Dean Solomon was appointed as the caretaker coach. A mid-season highlight saw the Bombers break a 13-match losing streak by defeating Greater Western Sydney in Round 19, marking their first win in Victoria since the previous year.
Practice matches Date and local time Opponent Scores (Essendon's scores indicated in bold) Venue Attendance Ref. Home Away Result Friday, 20 February (10:00 am) 18.10 (118) 10.8 (68) NEC Hangar ? Friday, 27 February (3:10 pm) 17.13 (115) 10.12 (72) Mars Stadium ?
Home-and-away season Rd Date and local time Opponent Scores (Essendon's scores indicated in bold) Venue Attendance Position Ref. Home Away Result 1 Friday, 13 March (7:40 pm) 13.5 (83) 21.19 (145) Melbourne Cricket Ground 71,384 17th 2 Sunday, 22 March (2:45 pm) 20.13 (133) 10.10 (70) Adelaide Oval 36,049 18th 3 Saturday, 28 March (7:35 pm) 9.15 (69) 12.9 (81) Marvel Stadium 40,154 17th 4 Sunday, 5 April (7:20 pm) 14.15 (99) 9.11 (65) Marvel Stadium 38,786 17th 5 Saturday, 11 April (12:45 pm) 17.11 (113) 10.8 (68) Adelaide Oval 38,006 17th 6 Saturday, 18 April (1:15 pm) 17.17 (119) 17.8 (110) People First Stadium 19,039 17th 7 Saturday, 25 April (3:20 pm) 9.6 (60) 20.17 (137) Melbourne Cricket Ground 92,231 17th 8 Saturday, 2 May (12:35 pm) 11.13 (79) 22.11 (143) Marvel Stadium 31,595 17th 9 Saturday, 9 May (4:15 pm) 16.7 (103) 13.11 (89) Engie Stadium 9,416 17th 10 Sunday, 17 May (1:10 pm) 8.13 (61) 16.8 (104) Melbourne Cricket Ground 25,100 17th 11 Friday, 22 May (7:45 pm) 10.14 (74) 7.14 (56) Melbourne Cricket Ground 78,815 18th 12 Sunday, 31 May (5:20 pm) 12.13 (85) 8.7 (55) Optus Stadium 37,623 18th 13 Sunday, 7 June (7:20 pm) 10.7 (67) 10.12 (72) Melbourne Cricket Ground 76,745 18th 14 Saturday, 13 June (1:15 pm) 13.17 (95) 6.14 (50) Melbourne Cricket Ground 41,438 18th 15 BYE 16 Sunday, 28 June (3:15 pm) 10.19 (79) 9.11 (65) Marvel Stadium 37,054 18th 17 Sunday, 5 July (3:15 pm) 7.8 (50) 17.15 (117) Marvel Stadium 34,713 18th 18 Sunday, 12 July (4:40 pm) 22.17 (149) 8.11 (59) The Gabba 30,505 18th 19 Sunday, 19 July (4:40 pm) 10.7 (67) 8.16 (64) Marvel Stadium 14,601 17th 20 Saturday, 25 July (4:15 pm) 19.18 (132) 5.9 (39) Melbourne Cricket Ground 42,509 17th — 21 Sunday, 2 August (4:40 pm) 11.7 (73) 23.7 (145) Marvel Stadium 20,518 18th — 22 Saturday, 8 August (4:35 pm) 17.15 (117) 7.8 (50) GMHBA Stadium 33,379 18th — 23 Sunday, 16 August (4:40 pm) 11.10 (76) 17.10 (112) Melbourne Cricket Ground 24,767 18th — 24 Sunday, 23 August (12:20 pm) 14.11 (95) 16.9 (105) Marvel Stadium 29,200 18th —
Ladder
AFLW
List changes Arrivals Player Former club League Type Ref. — — — — —
Departures Player New club League Type Ref. — — — — —
Playing list No. Player AFLW debut Recruited from Ref — — — — —
Home-and-away season Rd Date and local time Opponent Scores (Essendon's scores indicated in bold) Venue Attendance Ref. Home Away Result — — — — — — — — —
Ladder
VFL
Cameron Joyce continued as Essendon's VFL senior coach for his second season in 2026.
Practice matches Date and local time Opponent Scores (Essendon's scores indicated in bold) Venue Attendance Ref. Home Away Result Friday, 20 February (1:05pm) 18.13 (121) 8.7 (55) NEC Hangar — Sunday, 1 March (11:00am) 10.6 (66) 16.11 (107) NEC Hangar — Saturday, 14 March (2:00pm) 14.11 (95) 11.15 (81) Arden Street Oval —
Home-and-away season Rd Date and local time Opponent Scores (Essendon's scores indicated in bold) Venue Attendance Ref. Home Away Result 1 Friday, 20 March (7:05pm) 24.19 (163) 12.6 (78) GMHBA Stadium — 2 Saturday, 28 March (12:35pm) 15.8 (98) 12.7 (79) NEC Hangar — 3 Sunday, 5 April (3:20pm) 18.10 (118) 10.11 (71) Marvel Stadium — 4 Saturday, 18 April (9:30am) 16.21 (117) 19.9 (123) People First Stadium — 5 Friday, 24 April (2:05pm) 17.12 (114) 15.13 (103) KGM Centre — 6 Saturday, 2 May (2:05pm) 11.9 (75) 12.16 (88) Windy Hill — — 7 Sunday, 10 May (11:05am) 8.15 (63) 17.12 (114) Tom Wills Oval — 8 BYE 9 Saturday, 23 May (10:00am) 14.5 (89) 15.17 (107) Windy Hill — 10 Sunday, 31 May (12:05pm) 18.6 (114) 27.12 (174) Windy Hill — 11 Sunday, 7 June (2:05pm) 14.9 (93) 11.19 (85) Windy Hill — 12 Sunday, 14 June (2:05pm) 16.11 (107) 11.9 (75) Casey Fields — 13 BYE 14 Sunday, 28 June (12:05pm) 14.8 (92) 13.11 (89) Arden Street Oval — 15 Sunday, 5 July (12:00pm) 18.8 (116) 13.13 (91) Windy Hill — 16 Sunday, 12 July (10:00am) 10.13 (73) 15.13 (103) Brighton Homes Arena — 17 Sunday, 19 July (10:00am) 17.11 (113) 8.12 (60) Windy Hill — 18 Saturday, 25 July (10:00am) — — — Box Hill City Oval — — 19 BYE 20 Saturday, 8 August (12:05pm) — — — Windy Hill — — 21 TBC — — — TBC — —
Ladder
VFLW
Home-and-away season Rd Date and local time Opponent Scores (Essendon's scores indicated in bold) Venue Ref. Home Away Result 1 Saturday, 16 May (12:05pm) 6.5 (41) 5.8 (38) Trevor Barker Beach Oval 2 Saturday, 23 May (12:05pm) 0.12 (12) 4.8 (32) Windy Hill 3 Saturday, 30 May (11:05am) 2.4 (16) 9.15 (69) Windy Hill 4 Sunday, 7 June (11:05am) 10.3 (63) 4.7 (31) Windy Hill 5 Sunday, 14 June (11:05am) 4.2 (26) 10.2 (62) Casey Fields 6 Saturday, 20 June (11:05am) 2.2 (14) 10.7 (67) Windy Hill 7 Saturday, 27 June (3:05pm) 11.8 (74) 7.2 (44) Arden Street Oval 8 BYE 9 Friday, 10 July (7:35pm) 5.2 (32) 3.4 (22) Mission Whitten Oval 10 Saturday, 18 July (11:05am) 2.6 (18) 6.12 (48) Windy Hill 11 Saturday, 25 July (3:35pm) — — — Box Hill City Oval — 12 Saturday, 1 August (1:05pm) — — — Windy Hill — 13 Sunday, 9 August (10:35am) — — — DSV Stadium — 14 Week of Monday, 10 August (TBC) — — — TBC — 15 BYE 16 Week of Monday, 24 August (TBC) — — — TBC —
Ladder
References