{"podcast":{"title":"Don The Stat","slug":"don-the-stat-5422065","podcast_index_feed_id":5422065,"rss_url":"https://feed.podbean.com/donthestat/feed.xml","website_url":"https://donthestat.podbean.com","image_url":"https://pbcdn1.podbean.com/imglogo/image-logo/14145439/DTS.png","author":"donthestat","episode_count":100,"summary":"Don the Stat is a weekly podcast covering the Essendon Football Club. Former Essendon Football Club analyst Jonathan Walsh is joined by fellow Essendon fan Ian Hume where they break down the previous weeks game and preview the tactics of the next match. We focus on a more analytical approach that considers the statistics and match day tactics that will impact each game.","last_synced_at":"2026-06-05T00:19:34.168091+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/don-the-stat-5422065"},"episode":{"title":"Round 2, 2026: Hawthorn Reality Check, Port Preview & The Midfield Response","slug":"round-2-2026-hawthorn-reality-check-port-preview-the-midfield-response","published_at":"2026-03-19T10:51:33+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/don-the-stat-5422065/round-2-2026-hawthorn-reality-check-port-preview-the-midfield-response","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/don-the-stat-5422065","url":"https://donthestat.podbean.com/e/round-2-2026-hawthorn-reality-check-port-preview-the-midfield-response/","audio_url":"https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/n6sigdj6ekcu3ei5/riverside_don_the_stat_-_round_2_mar_19_2026_001_don_the_stat_s_studbsg4f.mp3","summary":"Round 1 hit hard. After a 62-point loss to Hawthorn, we dig into exactly what went wrong for Essendon in the season opener — and why the biggest issues ran deeper than the usual surface-level takes. From midfield struggles and centre bounce damage, to field position, forward structure and transition problems, we give the Hawks loss the full Don The Stat treatment. We also take a look at the wider reaction to Essendon’s start to the season, including this week’s Damian Barrett Lifetime Achievement Award nomination, and discuss the reported long-term contract offer put to Zach Merrett. Then we turn our attention to Sunday afternoon’s clash with Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval. With both sides coming off disappointing Round 1 losses, we break down Port’s list changes, their 2025 drop-off, what went wrong against North Melbourne, and where Essendon can attack. Can the Bombers respond? And where does the improvement need to come from first? All that and more on this week’s episode of Don The Stat. Episode Highlights Full review of Essendon’s Round 1 loss to Hawthorn Why midfield and clearance issues were the biggest concern Forward structure, territory and turnover analysis Damian Barrett Award nomination Zach Merrett contract talk Port Adelaide preview: list changes, tactics and key match-ups What Essendon must fix to bounce back in Round 2 ________ Watch 'The Moment that Mattered' and listen to our Post Match First Thoughts exclusively on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/donthestat Don The Stat Website: https://www.donthestat.com/ Follow Us on Twitter and Bluesky: Jono at twitter.com/JonathanJWalsh / https://bsky.app/profile/jonathanjwalsh.bsky.social Ian at twitter.com/Kyptastic1 / https://bsky.app/profile/kyptastic.bsky.social Don The Stat Facebook Page - https://www.f…","meta_description":"Round 1 hit hard. After a 62-point loss to Hawthorn, we dig into exactly what went wrong for Essendon in the season opener — and why the biggest issues ra…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":4453,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/don-the-stat-5422065/episodes/round-2-2026-hawthorn-reality-check-port-preview-the-midfield-response/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/don-the-stat-5422065/round-2-2026-hawthorn-reality-check-port-preview-the-midfield-response.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}