Player news from R1 of 2026: Essendon vs Hawthorn

Zach Merrett (112/138): Playing inside midfield
Merrett contributed with 32 disposals, 5 grabs, 2 tackles and 1.1 on the scoreboard.
Mason Redman (102/117): In defence on Lewis… switched to Gunston in Q2
Redman contributed with 26 disposals, 7 marks and 2 tackles.
Sam Durham (94/101): Starting at half forward
Durham contributed with 23 possessions, 4 marks, 4 tackles and booted 2.0.
Jye Caldwell (91/68): Playing inside midfield… switched to the flanks in Q3 with terrible DE stats
Caldwell contributed with 18 possessions, 3 marks, 7 tackles and kicked 1.1.
Andrew McGrath (82/84): Playing half back
McGrath contributed with 21 touches, 6 marks and 4 tackles.
Darcy Parish (75/92): Playing in central midfield
Parish contributed with 21 touches, 2 marks and 4 tackles.
Brayden Fiorini (74/58): Club debut after moving from Gold Coast… 20 possessions and 5 marks plus 1.1. Playing on a wing on Weddle.

Archie Perkins (66/55): Starting forward
Perkins contributed with 17 disposals, 3 marks, 2 tackles and managed 1.0.
Xavier Duursma (61/60): Starting on a HFF
Duursma contributed with 12 touches, 4 grabs, 2 tackles and 2.0.
Archie Roberts (59/53): Starting at half back… poor form so switched to mids in Q3
Roberts added 20 possessions and 2 marks.
Nate Caddy (56/49): Starting forward on Battle
Caddy contributed with 11 touches, 4 grabs, 2 tackles and managed 1.1.
Ben McKay (53/72): Starting on Chol
McKay added 12 possessions and 8 marks.
Max Kondogiannis (52/51): First game… 15 possessions and 4 marks plus 2 tackles. Rotating at half back.

Dyson Sharp (50/55): First game… 6 possessions and 2 marks plus 4 tackles… 2.0 as well. Playing high half forward.

Zak Johnson (50/47): Rotating at half back
Johnson added 16 disposals and 3 grabs.
Lachie Blakiston (47/61): Starting in ruck
Blakiston contributed with 9 touches, 4 tackles, 19 hit outs and 5 frees against.
Jaxon Prior (38/52): Playing a wing role on D’Ambrosio
Prior added 10 possessions and 3 grabs.
Jayden Nguyen (37/29): Playing back pocket on Watson
Nguyen added 12 possessions and 2 marks.
Peter Wright (34/49): Up forward on Barrass
Wright contributed with 7 disposals, 2 grabs, 6 ruck taps and 1.0.
Hussien El Achkar (33/40): First game… 8 possessions including 6 kicks… and scored 1.0. Rotating forward.

Kyle Langford (30/29): Playing tall forward on Sicily
Langford added 9 possessions and 0.1 on the scoreboard.
Archer May (24/24): Playing a forward/ruck role
May contributed with 3 disposals, 2 grabs and 3 tackles.
Zach Reid (23/21): In defence on Gunston… dragged off him in Q2 for Lewis
Reid contributed with 10 possessions, 2 marks and 3 frees against.
James Sicily (120/107): In defence on Langford
Sicily contributed with 26 touches, 11 marks and 4 tackles.
Jarman Impey (114/99): Playing a half back role
Impey contributed with 23 touches, 12 marks and 4 tackles.
Nick Watson (111/111): Playing forward pocket on Nguyen
Watson contributed with 17 disposals, 6 marks, 5 tackles and kicked 4.2.
Josh Ward (107/104): Playing inside midfield
Ward contributed with 26 possessions, 6 grabs and 5 tackles.
Dylan Moore (99/102): Needs to cut out parts of his away game… 1.1 from 24 possessions and 7 marks plus 2 tackles. Starting on a HFF.

Jack Ginnivan (99/78): Playing a half forward role
Ginnivan contributed with 20 touches, 9 grabs, 2 tackles and 1.3 on the scoreboard.
Cam Mackenzie (95/84): Rotating in midfield
Mackenzie contributed with 21 touches, 6 marks, 5 tackles and managed 0.1.
Josh Weddle (94/79): Starting on a wing on Fiorini
Weddle contributed with 16 disposals, 8 marks, 4 tackles and 2.2 on the scoreboard.
Josh Battle (94/76): Standing Caddy
Battle contributed with 18 disposals, 10 marks and 3 tackles.
Jai Newcombe (91/103): Playing inside midfield
Newcombe contributed with 22 possessions, 6 marks, 4 tackles and booted 1.1.
Conor Nash (86/89): Playing defensive inside midfield
Nash contributed with 23 possessions, 5 marks, 4 tackles and kicked 1.0.
Blake Hardwick (85/96): In defence
Hardwick added 21 touches and 11 marks.
Connor Macdonald (84/103): Needs to cut out parts of his away game… 2.2 from 24 possessions and 3 marks. Starting at half forward with some mid rotations.

Jack Gunston (84/100): First goal… Booted 5.1 from 8 grabs and 10 possessions. Starting forward on Reid then got Redman in Q2.

Karl Amon (77/70): Coming off a HBF
Amon contributed with 23 possessions, 3 marks and managed 0.1.
Mabior Chol (75/75): Playing a forward/ruck role on McKay
Chol contributed with 14 touches, 9 marks and 1.3.
Ned Reeves (73/104): Tandem ruck with Meek
Reeves contributed with 12 touches, 3 marks, 17 hit outs and managed 2.0.
Jack Scrimshaw (71/54): Not needed to play on talls this year
Scrimshaw contributed with 16 disposals, 8 marks, 3 tackles and 3 free kicks given away.
Lloyd Meek (65/65): Tandem ruck with Reeves
Meek contributed with 13 possessions, 3 marks, 2 tackles, 26 hit outs and 4 frees against.
Massimo D’Ambrosio (52/53): Starting on a wing on Prior
D’Ambrosio contributed with 12 possessions, 5 grabs and managed 1.0.
Mitch Lewis (51/55): Starting forward on Redman then got Reid in Q2
Lewis contributed with 11 touches, 6 marks and 0.1 on the scoreboard.
Sam Butler (46/28): Rotating as third wingman
Butler added 9 possessions and 7 marks.
Tom Barrass (31/34): At FB on Wright
Barrass added 8 disposals and 5 grabs.