Essendon will look to reap the benefits of a trying 2025 campaign that forced the club to debut a record 15 players, with the new season hopefully giving Bombers fans a glimpse of what a full fit list might look like.
While a large contingent of senior players will be back for Round 1, Nic Martin won't feature this year due to an ACL setback, however the timing of his year-ending diagnosis gives Brad Scott a significant window to plan without the outside ball winner.
Minor list changes via the trade period and a busy draft window have given Essendon a profile that will have some believing they can contend for a Wildcard spot at the very least.
A new ruckman will take their chance, while the Dons will be keen to uncover the right key forward mix after several seasons of change.
With all of that in mind, let's take a look at what Essendon's best 23 might look like...
Defenders
While the Dons' defence was significantly hit by injury in 2025, three of their four players to feature in all 23 games last year were backmen.
New skipper Andrew McGrath was one of them, and should resume a role down back after a late-season midfield switch due to injury carnage in the middle.
Young half-back Archie Roberts, who finished second in the club's best and fairest count, was another, and should be set for the main distributing role this year, while Jaxon Prior also had a full season in his maiden campaign in black and red.
It was the club's key defensive stocks that took a hit, with Zach Reid, Ben McKay and Jordan Ridley managing just the 10 appearances each.
That trio will hope for better continuity in 2026, adding to Mason Redman's role as a stopper who can be deployed against both talls and smalls.
The Bombers won't have Nic Martin to use across half-back, while youngster Lewis Hayes is set to miss a large portion of the year due to an ACL injury.
Second-year trio Angus Clarke, Zak Johnson and Jayden Nguyen each offer differing strengths and will aim to break into the backline, while Lachie Blakiston may be used further up the field as a ruckman to start the season.
Draftee Jacob Farrow is one of the more ready-made first-year players in the competition and will press his case as a long-kicking defender.
