Sheedy: Dons on high in three years

LEGENDARY Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy says the current Bombers group will “peak in three years”, after an unexpected 2021 finals appearance by Ben Rutten’s side.

The Bombers shocked many to make the finals, despite losing four out of their first five games to begin the year, and fielding numerous young players.

They went down to the Western Bulldogs in the elimination final in Launceston.

Sheedy, a four-time VFL/AFL premiership winning coach, said it had set up the Bombers nicely.

“I thought when you look back, we lost three of those six games by one point, two and three points, so we could have had 14 wins,” Sheedy said as the Bombers launched their 150thyear anniversary celebrations.

“But the way we did it, and the club and Ben Rutten playing the young kids, was the best thing that happened.

“What we did this year gives us a really strong foundation for the next three years. We will peak in three years.

“(But) you don’t just turn up. You only have to look at the two clubs in the grand final in 2021 they have done the hard yards to get there.”

Sheedy also spoke about some of the left-field moves he made to attract fans to Bombers games after they made the move from Windy Hill to the MCG.

“We were surrounded by airports and racecourses, we just had to do something to rattle the cage. And it started with playing practice matches outside of Essendon in the country, that was one of the best things we did,” Sheedy said.