Dyson Heppell on loyalty to Dons, finals dreams, and the drugs saga ahead of game 250

Retiring Essendon champion Dyson Heppell was one of the public faces of the club's supplements saga. He tells JAY CLARK about why he harbours no ill will to those involved. 

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JUNE 23: Zach Merrett (left) and Dyson Heppell of the Bombers celebrate during the 2024 AFL Round 15 match between the Essendon Bombers and the West Coast Eagles at Marvel Stadium on June 23, 2024 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Dyson Heppell has always been the selfless one at Essendon. Whether it is covering off on Nic Martin or Mason Redman’s opponent as they take off upfield, or captaining the club in its darkest days, Heppell has always put others’ needs before his own over a turbulent 14-year career.

To some, it remains one of the most loyal feats in the game that the lad from Leongatha never seriously entertained offers to leave Tullamarine in the wake of the supplements saga.

Plenty tried, but could never even get a meeting with him.

Despite his year out suspended, and zero finals wins, Heppell never lost faith in his football dream or the love for his club in the hope one day the tables would turn, exactly in the manner they have this season at Essendon.

And as the Sherrin floated his way late in the win over West Coast last Sunday, a massive smile ripped across Heppell’s face when Zach Merrett lobbed an easy pass over the top which found Heppell – for one of the few times in his career – all alone in the goalsquare.

He banged through the goal from point blank range, and felt the goosebumps as Essendon fans erupted and Merrett leapt into his arms.

For all the tough times Heppell has endured, this was one of the most joyous moments of a season so far that could yet deliver the 32-year-old a genuine footy fairytale if Essendon can make it to September.

“It was a special little moment for me, no doubt,” Heppell said.

“Even before I poked it through you could really hear the eruption of the crowd. So just to share that moment with Zach, who has done such an enormous job as captain since the handover and has really taken a lot of weight off my shoulders so I can really enjoy my footy, yeah, it was really cool.”

Finally, the bloke who is always looking after everyone else or their man was able to get a nice little lick of the ice cream when Heppell celebrated his 250th game recently. 

From one Captain to another.

The ultimate respect 🫡 https://t.co/dhZaE9IjOepic.twitter.com/M0z5OSVWKF

— Essendon FC (@essendonfc) June 24, 2024

It has to be one of the most significant player milestones at Essendon over the past 10 years against a team that has owned the Bombers over that stretch, and even longer, winning 21 of their past 25 games against the red and black.

But things are different at Tullamarine for a club which has clearly turned a corner under president David Barham and coach Brad Scott.

And there is no doubt whatsoever Scott would have reminded his troops pre-game about honouring Heppell after saying in March that Heppell had “been unbelievable for this football club, and unheralded and underrated for what he has done through difficult times”.

The receptionist at Essendon, Pauline Borg, who sits at the desk of the club’s front doors, this week described Heppell as “the best person in the world” knowing exactly the warmth and friendliness he brings into the club each day.

Unsurprisingly, Heppell had 50 tickets for his crew, a tight group of family and friends stretching back to his kindergarten days who helped the No. 8 draft pick keep his Zen and perspective when things, at least in a football sense, spiralled out of control.

Dyson Heppell has been the most selfless member of Essendon’s backline so far this season. Picture: Michael Klein

But as tough as things have been at Bomberland, Heppell doesn’t harbour a single grudge.

He said the best thing he has done was let go of any angst from that time.

“Forgiveness is the quickest avenue to freedom, and I think I was really quick to forgive everything that went down,” Heppell said. “I don’t put any blame on anyone. Absolutely it frees you. It would just be an enormous weight dragging me down if I was still hanging to things of the past. I quickly let go of that. I want to enjoy footy and enjoy life.” 

While the year on the sidelines was devastating for some, Heppell counts himself as fortunate in some ways, and grateful for how it shaped him, and what it taught him.

“I look back on that year with no animosity or remorse about that time and what went down,” Heppell said.

“It was certainly the most challenging period of my life, no doubt, and the strain on relationships and what footy means and what character of people means in itself, who to trust, who to believe, what to listen to, what not to.

“So many things going on at that time but in the end, I had more empathy towards the guys who were older and at the end of their careers and it ended their careers.

“I had a lot of footy in me and I was still passionate about the game, I honestly was one of the lucky ones. In the end I learned a hell of a lot and came out better for it. So I don’t look back on it with any animosity at all.”

Dyson Heppell returns to the Essendon Football Club in 2017 the day after his ban finished. Picture: Kylie Else

And now Heppell is going so well as perhaps the most selfless cog in a much improved defensive unit that he considered going on next year before deciding to call time on his AFL career.

Heppell has been focused on the baby steps that could take the club towards the pointy end. September. At times, he allows himself to dream about what may lie ahead if everyone keeps putting in the work.

“Sometimes you daydream about it and visualise it. It would be unbelievable,” he said.

“We have given ourselves an opportunity, we have an awesome platform to build on and a lot of work ahead of us, so it is really exciting.”

To keep winning, Heppell knows he will have to keep sacrificing in the back half, helping organise the defence and keeping an eye on Martin and Redman’s men for when they look to break a line.

Heppell has loved the role that has helped him have one of his best seasons in years coming into a campaign where many thought he was a 50/50 selection.

“I have found a role that suits my game and I have really enjoyed that style of footy. It is able to bring out my leadership capabilities as well,” he said.

“The talent in the team now is incredible and we have guys that have awesome skills and speed and drive off half back.

Dyson Heppell has transformed from a player who was on the fringe of selection come Round 1 to one of the first picked by Brad Scott. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

“What probably has been a strength of mine over my career is the game awareness.

“The ability to sum up situations and look around and go, do I need to take off, should I tuck in and support here, and let those guys get up the ground and attack the game? That is what I’m happy doing.

“But something I can always hang my hat on is that I know I will always give absolutely everything to prepare myself as best as I can to give myself a shot to play good footy.

“Having the backing and the belief of the senior coach has been enormous as well and I my body is in a really healthy space. I was able to put in a full pre-season.”

Pleasingly, Essendon is a different football club now. A more stable environment for a man who has had six different senior coaches in his 14 years.

Every one of them had a different vision, different style, taking the club in a different direction.

But the Bombers now, he said, feel rock solid, and perhaps it is no surprise the players’ development has flourished.

Sam Durham, Archie Perkins, Nic Martin, Harry Jones, Nate Caddy and Jye Caldwell, among others, are all on the up.

Dyson Heppell and Sam Durham. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

“When you are in the thick of it you don’t know what a good environment is in until you are in one,” he said.

“And at this stage of my career it is bloody nice to be a part of a fun and really driven group.

“The fun is in the hard work.

“Knowing we are working bloody hard and we are all on the same path to achieve the ultimate success.

“The small standards are really being upheld and any niggling things that come to the surface get nicked on the head really quick.

“And that comes down to alignment and leadership across the board and we have a heap of help around me which is great.”

When it ends, Heppell will leave a strong legacy as one of the club’s most respected and unselfish figures.

More than anything, he said he has always just wanted Essendon players to be happy being themselves.

And that meant not establishing their “whole identity” in footy, and the highs and lows that are a part of life in the AFL spotlight.

He remains grateful for all of it. But can football deliver him a fairytale ending this season?

It would be sweet.

“Have I enjoyed my footy career? Absolutely,” he said.

“If you sat here and said would you rather have a real smooth ride and away you go and flush it and win flags.

“Or (would I rather) go through enormous challenges?

“Doing that builds enormous character and if you can come out the other side with some form of success, I would take that every day of the week, to experience the sweetness on the other side of difficulty is one of the best things in life.”

Originally published as Dyson Heppell on loyalty to Dons, finals dreams, and the drugs saga ahead of game 250