The past decade has been characterised by hope and heartbreak for Essendon.
The drug scandal meant Bomber teams of the early part of the decade never reached their full potential and the club was forced into a brief period of irrelevance in 2016.
The post-saga world for the Bombers has been filled with inconsistency and false hope, currently holding the longest winless finals record in the competition.
Throughout this turmoil, there have been 10 standouts that have stood the test of time.
Here are Essendon's top 10 players of the decade:ย
Jobe Watson
An inspiring leader and presence at the Bombers during the clubs darkest times, Watson's playing days peaked in the early part of the decade. After winning the Brownlow medal in 2012, Watson went on to solidify himself as one of the greatest players of the modern era.
Watson's success was more impressive given the limitations he had as a player. Watson always lacked speed and elite kicking skills, however his strength, vision and poise out shone his flaws.
One of the enduring images of recent Anzac Day fixtures is Essendon's captain escaping the congestion and slotting home from 40 metres on the run at the Punt Road end.
Quite often Watson's stoppage work wouldn't make the highlight reels, as his ability to accumulate in traffic using his size and power did not make for flashy viewing.
However, it was mightily effective as Watson averaged a tick over 27 touches a game from 2010 until 2014, while consistently being voted for as one of the best captains in the league by his peers.
Often at the best of times it is hard for father-son picks to live up to their billing, yet Jobe Watson was one of the few to add to the reputation of his family as one of the classiest acts in the game.
