Brayden Fiorini will don the sash for the first time in front of what is projected to be more than 80, 000 fans, making it the biggest crowd of his 123-game career. The arrival of Fiorini caps a period of rapid change for the side as it opens the season in a high-profile Round 1 match labelled essendon vs hawthorn at the MCG on Friday, March 13 (ET).
Brayden Fiorini and the MCG moment
Fiorini, 28, arrives as a new recruit with experience and a newly earned place in the club’s extended leadership group. His move follows a season in which he recorded a maiden finals appearance and one of the best campaigns of his career as a winger with the SUNS, and now he prepares for his first official game in the red and black.
That first game will come on a big stage. The match at the MCG is expected to draw a bumper crowd, and early projections put attendance at more than 80, 000. For Fiorini, who has played 123 games to date, the scale of the occasion will exceed any crowd he has previously encountered.
Essendon Vs Hawthorn: Four debutants, returning talls and a new skipper
The team named for the season opener features four club debutants alongside Fiorini: draftees Dyson Sharp, Max Kondogiannis and Huss El Achkar. In total there are 13 changes from the side that finished last season on the Gold Coast, signaling a significant refresh ahead of the fixture billed as essendon vs hawthorn.
Andrew McGrath will lead from defence in his first game as skipper. The selection also brings back tall defenders Ben McKay and Zach Reid as a pairing together for the first time since round 11 last year, while Darcy Parish returns to the middle of the park. Up forward, Nate Caddy will lead the line with key targets Peter Wright, Kyle Langford and Archie May named.
Labour Day Snap & Sign at the NEC Hangar and the build to Friday
The club is inviting fans to a Labour Day Snap & Sign session at the NEC Hangar as a lead-in to the Round 1 clash. Training wraps up with activity slated from 8: 00 pm ET, followed by a Snap & Sign session at 9: 00 pm ET, and supporters can visit the Jack Jones Café from 6: 45 pm ET and the Bomber Shop from 7: 00 pm ET on the same day.
Organisers have planned extras for the day, including an ice-cream truck and a free sausage sizzle. Fans are also encouraged to be in their seats early on match night for a special pre-game scarf wave as the club opens the campaign at the MCG on Friday, March 13 (ET).
Selections and event plans reflect a clear intent to mark the opening of the season with community activity and fresh faces on-field. The club has promoted a visible build-up, urging supporters to get behind the team as it tests a reworked list in front of a large crowd.
Back on the human scale, Fiorini’s presence ties those plans together. He joins a group that includes first-game club debutants and established players taking on new roles, and the next confirmed development is the Friday night match at the MCG on March 13 (ET) where Fiorini will make his first official appearance in red and black.
