When the 2020 season came to an end, the Essendon Football Club seemed like it had well and truly lost its soul.
Once a behemoth of the competition, the Bombers had fallen out of relevance, fast becoming known for annual off-field headlines rather than on-field ones.
The departure of one of the club’s favourite sons in Joe Daniher, as well as Orazio Fantasia and Adam Saad stung the club deeply.
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It also stung the club into action.
The 2020 season had seen an awkward power struggle between current coach Ben Rutten and his soon-to-be predecessor John Worsfold.
Once Worsfold’s tenure ended, Rutten was determined to do things his own way.
When Essendon won its last premiership in 2000 to draw level with Carlton on 16 flags, 17 players on the current list were yet to be born. Current Essendon skipper Dyson Heppell was just eight.
Rutten wanted to connect the club’s future to its past, and did so by taking training sessions back to Essendon’s spiritual home at Windy Hill. It’s a move that has proved to be inspired.
Many of Essendon’s talented young players had never seen a dominant Bombers side in their lifetime, and left realising what a behemoth of a football club they were representing. This was the AFL’s equivalent of Manchester United or the New York Yankees.
“I think it was just an awesome initiative that we went through,” Heppell told Wide World of Sports.
“It was really an overall induction for the entire club really, diving into the history, where we come from and the type of people that have played for the footy club.
“Guys walked away being really proud to wear the jumper and being involved in such a powerful club.”
Heppell has developed a special connection with Rutten, who is his sixth different coach in his 12-season AFL career.
The club’s in-house media team released vision of the skipper’s impassioned speech towards his coach after last year’s crushing finals loss at the hands of the Western Bulldogs.
When he speaks about his coach, Heppell’s respect for Rutten is extremely evident.
“I’m super proud to play for him,” he said.
“I’ve just really enjoyed the way he’s come in and put his own spin on coaching.
“He’s got an enormous amount of respect from the playing group and the broader footy club and he’s definitely taken the club in the right direction.
“When success happens I have no doubt he’ll be around to bring the club for that success as well.”
Rutten’s first solo season at Essendon’s helm was a resounding success. Tipped by many to finish in the bottom four, the Bombers burst into the top eight off the back of unearthing a new crop of exciting youngsters who proved to be a much-needed breath of fresh air to their veteran teammates.
“Having a young list, the guys have come in with a lot of energy,” he said. “They’re hungry to improve and develop and I sort of feed off that as well.”
Following its 11-win fairytale first season under Rutten in 2021, the pressure is on the young Bombers. Club legend Matthew Lloyd has said the “honeymoon is over”.
Overachieving seasons have often proved to be false dawns for AFL clubs in recent years, just ask reigning premiers Melbourne about their 2019 season, or St Kilda about their 2021 season. Heppell and the Bombers are adamant they won’t repeat the Demons’ and Saints’ mistakes and he says there’s one key element to it.
“It’s about knuckling down and not setting too much expectations on ourselves, not listening to the outside noise as much as we can,” he said.
“Just trying to develop and improve individually and as a team. We got a good platform to build off last year and we’re just looking for that continual improvement.”
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