The Essendon Drug Saga was arguably the biggest scandal in AFL history.
When 34 Bombers players were found guilty of taking banned substance Thymosin Beta 4, the AFL handed the players and head coach James Hird a 12 month ban from the competition, spanning the entirety of the 2016 season, to go with a $2 million fine, the stripping of three draft picks alongside a number of internal bans and fines.
In what seemed to be a nightmare for the club at the time, Essendon legend and captain at the time Jobe Watson, vice-captain Dyson Heppell, and a number of senior players including Michael Hurley, Tom Bellchambers and Michael Hibberd were all ruled out for the 2016 season.
Eight years on, former AFL coach and Essendon assistant at the time of the ban, Guy McKenna believes it might have done more good than harm for the club.
He told the story of the night the ban was handed out on SEN WA.
“I’ve never said this publicly… I just looked in front of all the players, those players were off somewhere in another hotel getting the news read out to them,” he said.
“I was standing at the back of the room, and I remember going to Woosha (John Worsfold) after it…
“Xavier Campbell (Essendon CEO at the time) had tears in his eyes, some of the players were emotional as well in front of us, but I just thought to myself, do you understand the opportunity you blokes have got now?”
In 2016, Essendon debuted three youngsters, Darcy Parish, who is now a 1x All-Australian and a star of the competition, Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, who kicked 157 goals in his 133-game career for the Bombers, and Mason Redman, who finished third in the Bombers’ best and fairest in 2023.
The 2016 season also saw a major increase in numbers for several of today’s AFL stars.
Joe Daniher jumped to 43 goals on the season, Kyle Langford went from just eight career games, to playing 17 games across the year, Orazio Fantasia played 19 games following just eight over his first two seasons at the Bombers, and Connor McKenna clocked 12 games following his two in 2015.
“You’ve got 12 of Essendon’s best players, All-Australians… Zach Merrett for example, he went from 75 centre bounce involvements the year before, we had 350 that year for him.
“So, you wonder why he is the player that he is right now. If Jobe Watson or Dyson Heppell had been there, he wouldn’t have been allowed that opportunity.
“Darcy Parish was another one, Kyle Langford, all those players.”
Six players from Essendon’s top-up squad still remain active for the Bombers today, while a further four still remain in the AFL for opposition clubs.
“There’s a part of me (that believes), yeah it was sad for the players, but also hey boys, do you understand the opportunity you’ve got? Race out and grab it with both hands!
“Yeah, collectively we’re going to get smacked but when the cavalry arrives next year, we’re just going to be 22 games better. So, when the senior boys come back, look out!
“It was a special time.”