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
Michael Hurley
While Essendon's list has had certain holes throughout the decade, key position players seem to be one of the clubs strongest areas. Along with long time teammate Cale Hooker, Hurley is also capable of playing at both ends of the ground. However, Hurley has settled into a full back role over the last couple of seasons and made it his own.
A terrific intercept player, Hurley is also noted for his kicking and poise down back while matching up against some of the games best. Last years performance against Lance Franklin reminded the league of his strength and athleticism combined with good decision making.
Without Hurley in the side over the last couple of weeks, the Bombers have suffered big loses to Port Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs at home, showing how crucial the big man is to his team.
Much like Cale Hooker, he cemented himself as a fan favourite by knocking the Hawks out of a finals position in Round 22 2009 after an excellent second half display up forward.
At the age of just 19, Hurley kicked four goals against the reigning premiers, including a goal from outside 50 metres on his non-preferred left foot.
Thanks to the young Hurley and Matthew Lloyd's right shoulder, Essendon made the finals at the expense of their fierce rivals.
