ESSENDON has started talks with the AFL for an assistance package at the end of this season as its woes at the bottom of the ladder continue.

AFL.com.au can reveal the Bombers have commenced discussions with the AFL about asking for help from the League as they stare down the barrel of their second wooden spoon season in more than 90 years.  

The club is expected to make an official submission later this year in a bid to gain extra list assistance from the League. 

After winning one of their past 25 games, Essendon is mired at the bottom of the ladder and if it didn't win another game for this season would have just 18 wins from its past 69 games over the course of three years. 

16:49

ACCESS: The one Bomber who fights until the end, the best swingman in the AFL?

Matthew Lloyd and Damian Barrett with the latest news and opinions from Round 12

Published on May 31, 2026

Clubs to have recently successfully applied for AFL assistance include West Coast, North Melbourne and Gold Coast, who all rallied after elongated periods of struggle. 

Last year the AFL gave an extra end-of-first-round pick to the Eagles, which was basically used to trade for Brandon Starcevich while protecting their compensation pick for Oscar Allen, while the AFL also allowed the Eagles to have four extra rookies. 

That followed 11 wins across their previous four campaigns and came seven years after they won a premiership.

North Melbourne received an assistance package at the end of 2023 that included three end-of-first round picks after North had claimed 12 wins in its previous 84 games, while Gold Coast was given a huge assistance package at the end of 2019 after tallying 19 wins across four seasons.

The model used for the West Coast and North Melbourne packages, which essentially saw both clubs be given picks and encouraged to trade them for experienced players, as well as affording the clubs bigger rookie lists, would be expected to be a starting point for Essendon's discussions. The club's 22-year drought without a finals win is expected to be a part of its push for AFL help. 

AFL.com.au revealed last month that the League had built a special assistance formula, which included a range of metrics like games won, percentage and more over a rolling period, to assess special assistance requests. However the League still has discretion on those decisions. 

Essendon's decision to sack coach Brad Scott last week did not have any effect on its performance over the weekend, with the injuries that Scott lamented proving the same challenge for interim Dean Solomon, who oversaw the Bombers' 30-point loss to West Coast.