I love a good story attached to a game of footy – something to draw you in and keep you engaged. There is no shortage of them when it comes to the Hawks and Bombers.
There is something about the first annual Essendon versus Hawthorn clash that gets the blood pumping in an old fella like me.
Long gone are the days of all-in brawls, Dipper “accidentally” closing an eye of an opponent, Sheeds throwing around the magnets to create final quarter magic in a Grand Final, or Roger Merrett earning his ‘Hitman’ moniker before Bret Hart even thought of it. But there remains a definite feel to these games that goes beyond just a rivalry.
These clubs simply don’t like each other.
Dermott Brereton, whose stepson now plays in red and black, used a quote he learnt very early in his footy career when describing Essendon. “We don’t hate who they are – we hate what they stand for!”
When pressed what the Bombers stood for, he couldn’t elaborate. It was just drilled into him as a young man coming into the system, and he lived and breathed that rivalry, that hatred, for years.
But that was then, and this is now. Derm has hung up the boots and has one in both camps as the Bombers and Hawks head into a massive Friday night clash at the MCG.
Adding to the mystique of this rivalry is the failed attempt to jump ship by Zach Merrett after the 2025 season.
If you’re after a great story, I’m sorry to disappoint – a seven-goal second quarter blew the game open, with the Hawks owning the corridor and making the Bombers look slow. Jack Gunston continued to access his elixir of youth, kicking five, whilst Connor MacDonald, James Sicily, and Jarman Impey looked like stars all game.
A lot to get through in this one – let’s jump into The Mongrel’s Big Questions stemming from the big Hawthorn win.
The remainder of this article is for our members. They support me, and I provide for them. It’s a good deal.
Oh… a Mongrel paywall… the worst of all paywalls. We’re all in on the 2026 AFL season. Player articles, stats, awards, game coverage. Dump the mainstream lip service and dive into articles like this – you will never look back. If you don’t want to, that’s fine. I consider it your loss as we get into the grind of the season, and you’re stuck with the stuff that’s frustrated you for years.
