Milestone misery: Heppell joins long list of unlucky Bombers

DYSON Heppell is the latest Bomber to be a casualty of Essendon’s milestone misery, but he has joined a long list. 

Heppell on Saturday night played his 200th game for the Bombers – on the same day he turned 30 – but was part of a side that was thrashed at the SCG as the club’s horror season continued.

The pre-game celebration of family and friends on the ground for the Essendon captain to run through the banner was short-lived with the post-game fallout again focusing on another listless performance. 

Heppell shouldn’t take it too personally. He is just the most recent Bomber to have a celebration match spoiled with defeat. 

History shows that since 2005, Essendon has won just eight of their past 31 games when one of its players has reached a significant personal games milestone – games of either 150, 200, 250, 300, 350 or 400 with the club. 

Since champion goalkicker Matthew Lloyd reached his 200th game with a win over St Kilda in round 13, 2005, the Bombers have won less than a quarter of their milestone games.

The likes of Cale Hooker (losses in 200th and 150th games), Jobe Watson (losses in 200th and 150th games), Dustin Fletcher (loss in 400th and 300th games) and Heppell (who also lost his 150th game) are among the distinguished Essendon players to have felt defeat in key games. 

The list only includes players who have reached the milestones playing all of the games for the Bombers. For instance, former Bomber Brendon Goddard’s 300th game (having crossed from St Kilda after 205 games) didn’t count in the list – for the record, it was a loss. 

Of course, through this period Essendon has largely been a mediocre side, with the milestone malaise being tracked back to the season that followed their most recent finals win in 2004. It also comes during the club’s least successful era of its history, with the drought without a finals win set to extend another year after its 2-7 start to 2022.

Coaches have always spoken of milestone games as important, but that it shouldn’t affect a team’s performance or mindset. Nevertheless, Essendon’s record in milestone games actually worsens in comparison to their overall win-loss over the same period of time. 

ESSENDON'S WIN/LOSS IN MILESTONE GAMES