Dons hand out a lesson

Rohan Connolly St Kilda has regularly found itself short of sufficient height and strength in recent times.

Pies, Dons can dig deep

Rohan Connolly Already, 2013 is looking likely to be a premiership won by depth as much as class.

AFL

Dons well placed for Pie fright

Rohan Connolly Few players have featured in as important a moment in just their fourth AFL game as did Essendon's David Zaharakis in 2009.

Bombers run out of excuses

Rohan Connolly Simply, with a few exceptions, Essendon's players lack passion and fight.

Comments 22

AFL

Bombers' Ryder coup

Rohan Connolly ESSENDON has retained one of its most valuable assets with star big man Paddy Ryder re-signing with the club on a four-year deal, ending speculation he could be poached by Greater Western Sydney or...

Comments 30

The ultimate triumph

Rohan Connolly There has been, and will be far, far better games of football this season than Melbourne's six-point win over Essendon last night.

Football

Wayward Dons blow it

Rohan Connolly Sydney's thrilling four-point win over Essendon last night threw up all sorts of bizarre numbers. The bottom line, though, was that once again these two teams served up a blinder.

The Connolly Report

Dons' depth broadens a fine line

Rohan Connolly A season as tight as 2012 is likely to come down to measures as fine as a matter of centimetres or seconds. And Essendon knows all about that now.

Rohan Connolly

Ratten runs hot, Hird goes cold

Rohan Connolly Do coaches make teams or teams make coaches? It's a perennial football question, one at times that is almost impossible to answer, but one worth pondering again after two crucial and surprising...

Comments 71

Big Ben times run right

Rohan Connolly ESSENDON coach James Hird was asked on radio this week about the importance of the lesser lights to a team's continued improvement.

Howlett puts name in lights

Rohan Connolly Essendon coach James Hird, interviewed on SEN the other day, was asked a question about the importance of the lesser lights to a team's continued improvement.

Comments 2

Football

Bombers have sights on better midfield depth

Rohan Connolly It's no great secret Essendon needs to bolster both the quality and depth of its midfield.

AFL

Fiasco won't hurt our season, Hocking says

Rohan Connolly Essendon midfielder Heath Hocking is confident last week's travel fiasco and the cancellation of an important NAB Cup hitout with St Kilda won't leave the Bombers behind the rest of the pack in their...

Rohan Connolly

Journey into the unknown

Rohan Connolly With another debutant team and so many new coaches, we're in for a turbulent season in 2012.

Playing the rivalry card

Rohan Connolly Essendon and North Melbourne don't boast one of the AFL's highest-profile rivalries.

Comments 11

Bombers bounce Roos

Rohan Connolly Only a brave pundit would have predicted result would be known only after final siren.

Comments 2

Gutsy Dons graft a win

Rohan Connolly In the end, you had to call it a decent win by Essendon, getting home by 25 points after looking set to be overrun midway through the final term with only one fit player left on the bench, and Port...

Fighting Roos start to find their true North

Rohan Connolly For a couple of years now, North Melbourne has been the ultimate definition of the mid-table team. Not only have the Roos finished ninth, but consistently beaten the teams below them, only to...

Rampant Dons set the stage for Anzac Day

Rohan Connolly Despite the tipping, the Bombers ended up doing a number on the Blues.