Player news from R19 of 2026: Essendon vs Western Sydney

Zach Merrett (119/140): Starting on ball under a Bedford tag
Merrett contributed with 35 possessions, 2 marks, 4 tackles and kicked 1.0.
Nick Bryan (111/108): Couple of whacks to the ribs in Q3 left him sore… 31 hit outs… also 17 possessions and 3 marks plus 2 tackles… 2.0 as well… helped out by 6FF. First ruck.

Dyson Sharp (90/99): Playing midfield
Sharp contributed with 23 possessions, 3 marks, 5 tackles and booted 1.0.
Archie Roberts (88/68): Starting at half back on Greene then freed up in Q3
Roberts added 27 disposals and 5 marks.
Mason Redman (86/117): In defence on Gruzewski
Redman contributed with 17 possessions, 5 grabs, 4 tackles and kicked 1.0.
Jaxon Prior (84/81): Playing a half back role
Prior contributed with 20 disposals, 6 marks and 2 tackles.
Jacob Farrow (81/83): Starting on a wing
Farrow contributed with 20 possessions, 6 marks and kicked 2.0.
Sam Durham (79/113): Playing central midfield
Durham contributed with 25 disposals, 4 marks, 2 tackles and 0.1 on the scoreboard.
Jye Caldwell (76/77): Playing inside midfield on Oliver
Caldwell contributed with 17 touches, 4 marks and 7 tackles.
Angus Clarke (75/66): Started on a wing but mostly off half forward
Clarke contributed with 13 touches, 8 marks and 4 tackles.
Archer Day-Wicks (64/84): Rotating forward on Whitfield
Day-Wicks contributed with 15 touches, 4 marks, 5 tackles and 0.2 on the scoreboard.
Sullivan Robey (63/71): Playing in attack and midfield… switched to FF on Laverde in Q3 to cover injury
Robey contributed with 17 disposals, 2 marks, 2 tackles and 1.0.
Peter Wright (61/86): Playing a forward/ruck role on Taylor
Wright contributed with 15 disposals, 2 marks, 10 hit outs and kicked 1.0.
Andrew McGrath (60/76): Playing half back
McGrath contributed with 18 touches, 3 marks and 3 tackles.
Zach Reid (56/53): In defence on Cadman
Reid added 15 possessions and 4 grabs.
Isaac Kako (56/57): Playing small forward
Kako added 12 possessions and 7 tackles.
Jordan Ridley (52/66): In defence on Stringer
Ridley added 14 possessions and 5 grabs.
Hussien El Achkar (52/43): Rotating forward
El Achkar contributed with 8 touches, 6 tackles and managed 1.1.
Xavier Duursma (40/45): Right elbow knock in Q4 when Oliver trod on him then pulled left hamstring in a marking contest in Q4… 11 possessions including 8 handballs… also 4 tackles. Starting on a wing.

Max Kondogiannis (34/41): Rotating forward
Kondogiannis contributed with 8 possessions, 4 tackles and kicked 0.1.
Kyle Langford (34/32): High bump on Coniglio in Q4 will be looked at… 7 possessions including 6 kicks… also 2 tackles. Starting forward on Himmelberg.
Langford also had 2 marks.
Jaxon Artemis (32/31): First game… 11 possessions and 2 marks plus 0.1. Rotating at half back.

Nate Caddy (17/11): Off in Q1 with a chest problem… ruled out with elevated heart rate and sent to hospital… 2 possessions and 2 tackles. Starting forward on Laverde.

Lachie Ash (89/67): Roaming from half back… plenty of CBAs after HT
Ash contributed with 23 possessions, 5 marks and 5 tackles.
Lachie Whitfield (89/102): Starting at half back on Day-Wicks
Whitfield contributed with 23 touches, 3 marks and 5 tackles.
Finn Callaghan (88/79): Running through midfield
Callaghan contributed with 27 disposals, 3 marks and 5 tackles.
Ryan Angwin (85/89): Starting on a HBF
Angwin contributed with 21 possessions, 6 marks, 3 tackles and 1.0.
Callum M. Brown (83/107): Playing a forward/ruck role
Brown contributed with 16 touches, 4 grabs, 5 tackles, 9 taps, 1.1 and 3 frees against.
Jake Stringer (83/78): Starting forward on Ridley
Stringer contributed with 14 touches, 5 marks, 6 tackles and 0.7 on the scoreboard.
Connor Idun (77/111): In defence
Idun contributed with 24 touches, 5 marks and 2 tackles.
Stephen Coniglio (75/91): Starting on a HFF and joining mids
Coniglio contributed with 15 touches, 4 grabs, 5 tackles and 1.0 on the scoreboard.
Clayton Oliver (70/83): Playing inside midfield on Caldwell
Oliver contributed with 23 disposals, 6 tackles and 3 free kicks given away.
Conor Stone (68/89): Playing a wing role
Stone contributed with 17 possessions, 3 grabs and 4 tackles.
Nicholas Madden (67/64): In ruck
Madden contributed with 14 possessions, 3 grabs, 2 tackles, 28 hit outs and 3 free kicks given away.
Harry Himmelberg (67/58): Starting at half back on Langfrod
Himmelberg added 16 touches and 8 grabs.
Sam Taylor (65/77): Standing Wright
Taylor contributed with 14 disposals, 7 marks and 3 tackles.
Xavier O’Halloran (64/76): Playing defensive half forward
O’Halloran contributed with 17 disposals, 6 tackles and kicked 0.1.
Joe Fonti (64/69): Running off half back
Fonti contributed with 17 touches, 5 marks, 3 tackles and 3 frees against.
Jack Ough (59/78): Rotating in midfield
Ough contributed with 17 disposals, 2 tackles and 1.0.
Harry Rowston (58/70): Rotating as a small forward
Rowston contributed with 17 disposals, 2 grabs and 1.0 on the scoreboard.
Max Gruzewski (56/56): In attack on Redman
Gruzewski contributed with 10 touches, 6 marks and managed 1.1.
Jayden Laverde (56/44): On Caddy then got Robey in Q3
Laverde contributed with 16 possessions, 5 grabs and 2 tackles.
Toby Bedford (45/51): Tagging Merrett
Bedford added 8 possessions and 6 tackles.
Aaron Cadman (39/31): Playing key forward on Reid
Cadman contributed with 6 disposals, 4 marks, 2 tackles and 0.3 on the scoreboard.
Riley Hamilton (38/26): Rotating forward
Hamilton contributed with 7 disposals, 3 marks, 3 tackles and 0.2 on the scoreboard.
Toby Greene (34/31): First goal… left thigh iced up in Q3… 2.0 from 6 possessions and 2 marks. Starting on a HFF on Roberts.