Essendon president Paul Brasher has denied the club’s infamous finals drought is weighing on the current crop of players, declaring the Bombers are entering a premiership window.
Brasher took over a club in crisis at the end of the 2020 season and was immediately met with a number of disillusioned star players seeking exits.
However, after a thorough internal review, the club blossomed in 2021, making an unlikely finals appearance before losing in an elimination final.
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The season ending loss to the Western Bulldogs was the club’s seventh straight finals loss since its last successful final – an elimination final win against Melbourne in 2004.
Despite the Bombers having the longest finals drought in the AFL, Brasher denied that it was added pressure on the club’s current list.
“I don’t think the players worry about it,” he told The Age.
“Of course, they read social media and their friends tease them and everything else, but I think if we get to the end of the year and are in the finals, I don’t think that’s going to be a monkey on their back. I think that’s the past.
“We’re not going to be petrified because we think we might lose another final.”
While Essendon did not have finals success last year, the feeling is different around the club due to an overwhelming number of quality young players on its list.
Brasher indicated that every one of Essendon’s decisions was geared towards winning an AFL-record 17th premiership in the coming years.
“Obviously, we certainly want to make finals, absolutely,” he said.
“But what we want to do is win a grand final – and I don’t mean necessarily this year. That’s what we want to do and everything we’re going to do is going towards that.”
“To tell you the truth, we just think some time in the next two or three years, we’re going to be a serious contender and that’s what we’re working towards.”