Player news from R23 of 2026: Essendon vs Sydney

Will Setterfield (123/113): Doing jobs in midfield
Setterfield contributed with 32 disposals, 5 marks, 5 tackles and 1.0.
Vigo Visentini (120/90): First ruck
Visentini contributed with 19 disposals, 9 marks, 6 tackles, 14 hit outs and booted 1.0.
Archie Roberts (105/88): Starting at half back
Roberts contributed with 28 disposals, 7 grabs and 2 tackles.
Jaxon Prior (103/82): Playing a half back role
Prior contributed with 16 touches, 9 marks, 5 tackles and managed 1.0.
Zach Reid (97/106): In defence on Curnow
Reid contributed with 20 possessions, 9 marks and 3 tackles.
Jye Caldwell (95/92): Playing inside midfield
Caldwell contributed with 28 disposals, 4 marks, 4 tackles and managed 0.2.
Dyson Sharp (95/85): Playing half forward
Sharp contributed with 22 possessions, 3 grabs, 7 tackles and managed 0.1.
Mason Redman (81/80): Floating in defence on Lloyd
Redman contributed with 20 disposals, 4 grabs and 3 tackles.
Nick Bryan (79/92): First ruck
Bryan contributed with 19 possessions, 2 marks, 3 tackles and 17 ruck taps.
Andrew McGrath (74/77): Playing half back on Papley
McGrath contributed with 19 disposals, 6 grabs and 3 tackles.
Rhys Unwin (73/76): Rotating at half forward
Unwin contributed with 12 disposals, 2 marks, 7 tackles and kicked 1.1.
Zach Merrett (71/72): Tagged by Serong then freed up in Q3… 24 possessions and 2 marks plus 2 tackles. On ball… cut under right eye in Q1 from a stray elbow.

Jacob Farrow (64/60): Starting on a wing on Roberts
Farrow contributed with 15 touches, 5 marks, 2 tackles and managed 0.1.
Nate Caddy (62/46): Starting forward on Hamling
Caddy contributed with 11 possessions, 5 marks and 3.1.
Archer Day-Wicks (57/50): Starting forward on Blakey
Day-Wicks contributed with 10 possessions, 2 grabs, 5 tackles and kicked 1.0.
Isaac Kako (54/58): Playing small forward
Kako contributed with 18 disposals, 2 tackles and booted 0.1.
Archie Perkins (53/41): Starting at half forward
Perkins contributed with 9 touches, 7 marks and 1.0 on the scoreboard.
Max Kondogiannis (51/69): Rotating on a wing
Kondogiannis added 11 disposals and 6 tackles.
Peter Wright (49/38): Playing a forward/ruck role on McCartin
Wright contributed with 9 possessions, 3 marks and 2.1.
Jaxon Artemis (46/43): Rotating at half back
Artemis added 9 touches and 6 tackles.
Kyle Langford (45/54): Starting in defence on McDonald
Langford added 13 possessions and 4 grabs.
Angus Clarke (37/22): Starting at half forward
Clarke contributed with 8 possessions, 2 marks, 2 tackles and booted 0.1.
Harrison Jones (29/21): In defence on the resting ruck
Jones added 8 possessions and 3 grabs.
Errol Gulden (144/144): Starting on ball
Gulden contributed with 46 possessions, 3 marks and 4 tackles.
Isaac Heeney (142/168): Playing pure midfield
Heeney contributed with 29 possessions, 9 grabs, 7 tackles and managed 3.2.
Chad Warner (106/130): Three goals in Q1 as the carcass was feasted upon early… 23 possessions and 4 marks plus 5 tackles… 3.0 as well. Mostly in midfield.

Brodie Grundy (104/118): Lead ruck
Grundy contributed with 26 disposals, 5 marks and 22 ruck taps.
Jake Lloyd (90/88): Starting on a HFF on Redman
Lloyd contributed with 21 touches, 7 marks and 2.0 on the scoreboard.
Nick Blakey (89/89): In defence on Day-Wicks
Blakey contributed with 29 possessions, 2 grabs and 2 tackles.
Matt Roberts (72/69): Starting on a wing on Farrow
Roberts contributed with 19 touches, 3 grabs and 4 tackles.
Logan McDonald (69/83): Starting forward on Langford
McDonald contributed with 15 possessions, 7 marks and 2.2 on the scoreboard.
Callum Mills (66/68): Floating at half back
Mills added 23 touches and 2 marks.
Sam Wicks (61/42): Playing back pocket
Wicks contributed with 15 touches, 2 marks and 5 tackles.
Jesse Dattoli (55/61): Rotating forward
Dattoli contributed with 12 disposals, 3 marks, 3 tackles and kicked 1.1.
Dane Rampe (55/66): Starting at half back
Rampe contributed with 15 touches, 3 marks and 4 tackles.
Riley Bice (53/54): Starting on a HBF
Bice contributed with 10 disposals, 2 grabs and 5 tackles.
Jai Serong (53/74): Tagging Merrett then switched to a wing role in Q3
Serong contributed with 15 disposals, 4 grabs and 1.0 on the scoreboard.
Tom McCartin (51/64): Starting in defence on Wright
McCartin added 17 touches and 4 marks.
Charlie Curnow (49/60): First goal and had three inside ten minutes in Q1… 4.1 from 9 possessions and 2 marks… not helped by 3 FA. Starting at CHF on Reid.

James Jordon (48/61): Playing defensive half forward
Jordon added 13 disposals and 4 tackles.
Braeden Campbell (47/62): Playing a half forward role
Campbell added 14 possessions and 3 tackles.
Joel Hamling (46/77): In defence on Caddy
Hamling contributed with 11 touches, 4 marks and 2 tackles.
Billy Cootee (39/28): Rotating at half forward
Cootee contributed with 9 touches, 2 grabs, 3 tackles and managed 1.0.
William Green (37/43): Second game… 11 hit outs… also 6 possessions and 3 marks… and booted 0.1. Supporting in ruck.

Tom Papley (33/42): Starting deep forward on McGrath with mid rotations
Papley added 10 touches and 4 tackles.
Harry Kyle (30/28): Rotating in defence
Kyle also had 10 touches.