The past decade has been characterised by hope and heartbreak for Essendon.
The drug scandal meant Bomber teams of the early part of the decade never reached their full potential and the club was forced into a brief period of irrelevance in 2016.
The post-saga world for the Bombers has been filled with inconsistency and false hope, currently holding the longest winless finals record in the competition.
Throughout this turmoil, there have been 10 standouts that have stood the test of time.
Here are Essendon's top 10 players of the decade:
Patrick Ryder
The years Paddy Ryder spent with Essendon during the first half of the decade were some of the best year of elite ruckman work the club has seen.
While initially being thrown into the role on Anzac Day 2009, Ryder proved instrumental that day, winning the Anzac Medal.
As for his work in the 2010s, Ryder's versitility often provided the Dons with a much needed x-factor to break games open.
Using his freakish combination of size, speed and leaping ability, Ryder could out run his fellow ruckmen while being able to out jump smaller defenders if he went forward.
Ryder's snap against Fremantle in Round 4, 2013 won the Bombers a famous victory during a week of tumultuous media speculation amidst the drug saga looming over the club.
Although at times struggling with inconsistency, Ryder's leg combined with his great athletic talents and ruck abilities made him a truly formidable player at the Bombers.
