"Pay the penalty": Watson rejects Essendon assistance plea

Essendon have made their bed and it’s time to lie in it, according to Tim Watson who has passionately outlined why the club cannot be granted an assistance package by the AFL.

The club is reportedly locked in high level conversations with the AFL over an assistance deal that could include an extra end-of-first-round pick as their horror run continues.

The club, who last week sacked head coach Brad Scott after four years at the helm, has not won a match since May 2025 and looks guaranteed to claim the wooden spoon this season.

Should they fail to win another game this season their record will be 18 wins in 69 games in three seasons and 22 years without winning a final.

The notion of Essendon being given handouts infuriated Watson.

“No, no, no,” he said on SEN Breakfast when asked if the Bombers qualified for help. “I have to be consistent I have said this about other clubs.

"Where you find yourself is because of your own poor administration and your own poor handling of your footy club.

“That’s what you pay the penalty for. I’m not for clubs getting assistance under this guise. You make your bed and you lie in it in life.

“You finish down the bottom of the ladder – where Essendon will, that’s your advantage. You get the first pick; you get the first look at the best talent.

“That’s the way the system was designed. We keep wanting to modify things to help clubs, we try to artificially bulk up clubs to help them. That whole thinking has to stop.”

West Coast (2025), North Melbourne (2023) and Gold Coast (2019) have all been granted help in recent years

The Bombers are dominating the headlines seven days a week at the moment; if it’s not their lack of form on the field it’s the “will he, won’t he” saga of James Hird becoming the club’s next head coach.

“You can be complimentary of Hirdy and at the same time still think everyone has to go through the process,” Watson added.

“You can have a relationship with a player at a club and think totally differently as to whether they will do a role well. People can’t separate this though.”

Essendon plays Carlton at the MCG this Sunday night.