What worked
- Moving Cale Hooker forward. With Jake Carlisle injured mid-year and the Bombers' goal drought escalating, they tried the star defender in attack. He proved a strong competitor in the role and gave Essendon's midfield a target to kick towards, kicking 18 goals since round 14.

- Travis Colyer's emergence as a midfielder was a bright spot for the Bombers. Before his season-ending foot injury in round 11, Colyer's speed, run and carry, and goal sense proved to be an important part of Essendon's mix.

- The silver lining to a horror year is an early draft pick. After two years of penalties, the club will head to November's NAB AFL Draft in Adelaide with a top selection in tow. Restocking the midfield should be a priority.

What failed
- Essendon's struggles in the ruck started when Paddy Ryder left last year. Then Tom Bellchambers was out of form and got injured and recruit Jonathan Giles did not have the immediate impact Essendon hoped he would. Shaun McKernan had a good end to the year, but is more likely to play as a forward/ruck in the future rather than hold down a full-time role.

- The Bombers played to one of the most confusing and frustrating game-plans in the competition. They over-possessed the ball and were not prepared to move it quickly through the middle of the ground. It will be interesting to see how the team plays next year under a new coach.

- The forward line. Joe Daniher led the club's goalkicking for a second season, but the Bombers were largely impotent near goal for most of the year. They struggled for any cohesiveness, were often outnumbered and lacked a crumbing forward. So far they have booted 10 goals or fewer in 13 games.

Overall rating
3/10. Nothing really went right for the Bombers after WADA announced it was going to appeal the verdict to clear the players involved in the supplements program. Essendon showed little resistance in many games, had key players missing with injuries, coach James Hird resigned and another year was wasted.

The fans' rating

The coach
After three seasons in the spotlight, Hird agreed with the Essendon board to step away from the coaching post after Essendon's round 20 thrashing to Adelaide. Five years after joining the Bombers with an all-star coaching panel, the club great departed with the Bombers in their darkest spot.

MVP
Michael Hurley He proved his star qualities this year with an outstanding season in Essendon's backline. The commanding defender proved almost unbeatable in one-on-one contests, added plenty of flair and run to his game, and controlled the back half for his team. He should win the club's best and fairest and be a real contender for the All Australian team.

Surprise packet
Zach Merrett In his second season Merrett was a highlight for the Bombers. He had shown enough in his debut year to suggest he would be a future star, but he took no time to progress from half-forward to a midfield role, and averaged 22 disposals in 17 games before a foot injury cut short his season.

Get excited
Jayden Laverde Essendon was rapt to select Jayden Laverde with pick No.20 at last year's draft. The club's recruiters knew he had an exciting bag of tricks, and he showed a few very nice glimpses in his debut season. Playing mostly across half-forward, Laverde's best game came against the Crows when he gathered 20 touches and kicked a goal.

Jayden Laverde appears a steal at No.20 in last season's draft. Picture: AFL Media

Disappointment
Adam Cooney The former Bulldog arrived at Essendon as a high-profile recruit last year. But injuries and a suspension kept the Brownlow medallist to 11 games, his lowest tally in a single season throughout his 12-year career. His skills in attack weren't as polished as some might have predicted, and the 30-year-old provided little defensive pressure.

Best win: Two-point win over Hawthorn, round two, MCG.
Essendon looked set to give away a big lead for the second time in two weeks when its 35-point advantage was overturned by Hawthorn, who led by 16 points midway through the final term. But the Bombers refused to let slip another opportunity (having given up a 41-point lead against the Sydney Swans in round one), and a last-minute goal from unlikely hero Hooker put them ahead for the emotional two-point win.

Low point
Where do you start? Essendon's goalless first half to Geelong was pathetic, its 110-point thrashing to last year's wooden spooners St Kilda was bad, and so was its thumping at the hands of the Western Bulldogs. But the low point of Essendon's season came in round 20, when the Bombers put up little fight in their 112-point loss to Adelaide. It was ultimately Hird's last game at the club, and the heaviest defeat of his coaching career.

The big questions
- Who will be coach?
Essendon needs to find a replacement for James Hird, and would like to have a replacement in charge as soon as possible. An appointment in the latter stages of October seems most likely.

- What will they do with the forward line?
Hopefully the Bombers can find a forward structure that is more efficient, dangerous at ground level and with some better systems in place. It was a young group this year, so their experience in 2015 should help by next year.

- What happens with WADA? 
Nobody can answer this question, but there does appear some light at the tunnel for everyone involved. The hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Sydney will commence in mid-November.  

Season in a song
Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Green Day

Who's done?
Retirements: Paul Chapman has already played his last game, and Dustin Fletcher and Jason Winderlich look set to join him in retirement. Each of the veterans' seasons was affected by injuries. Fletcher hasn't played since he reached his 400th game in round nine and is hoping to return for a final game this week, while Winderlich only managed one game this season after overturning his decision to retire last year.

Delistings: There's a group of younger players at the club who remain in limbo about their futures. Elliott Kavanagh, Nick O'Brien, Alex Browne and Lauchlan Dalgleish have been on the list for a few years without cementing positions, while rookies Ariel Steinberg and Kurt Aylett will also be uncertain about whether they will remain at the club in 2016.

Trades/free agents: Jake Carlisle is the club's highest profile player who is out of contract, and he is considering his future. He continues to be linked to a shift away from the Bombers, but the club will be keen to make the most of a possible trade if he decides to leave. Brent Stanton is a free agent and yet to commit beyond this year, while out-of-contract Jake Melksham would garner some interest from rivals too.

What they need
Here's the list of priorities: midfield depth, another key forward, a consistent small forward and a ruckman. They can't get all of those areas in one draft (unless they trade out players for some early picks), so might have to go back to the start and fix up some areas over the next two or three years before being a genuine challenger. If they get a midfielder with pace, that would be even better. The reliance on Colyer's speed has been too significant.

Premiership clock – 7pm
At the end of 2012, the Bombers looked like they were on the cusp of their premiership window. The list was shaping well and their game-plan under Hird was coming together. The rest is history, and the Bombers' tilt at a flag has been severely set back. After some key departures and a group of senior players nearing the end, the Bombers' window has been nearly shut. There is some strong talent under 24, but there needs to be more.

Early call: seventh-14th
If the Bombers are freed of their WADA and ASADA issues before next year, they could sneak into the top-eight if their list stays healthy. But it is too hard to predict what impact the supplements saga and forthcoming decision on the players' futures will have on the club's season next year. It seems most likely they'll be a team in the 7-14 range.