Essendon's pre-season schedule has been locked in, with timings now confirmed for their first hit-out against the Bulldogs.

The Dons will head to Whitten Oval on Saturday, February 15 for their first organised practice match of the year against the Bulldogs at 2pm AEDT, with the match to be a ticketed event and streamed live on KAYO.

A double-header will be played on the day, with Essendon VFL set to take on their Bulldogs counterparts at 5pm following the conclusion of the game.

Club members will be required to upgrade to guarantee access, with further information on the ticketing process to be released and communicated to fans in the coming days.

The Bombers' second pre-season match will take place against Geelong at GMHBA Stadium as part of the AAMI Community Series on Tuesday, February 25 at 7:10pm AEDT.

Regarding ticketing for the Cats clash, a member pre-sale will be held at 12pm AEDT on Wednesday, February 5 before tickets become available to the general public at 3pm.

Club members with 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season entry entitlements will have free general admission access to GMHBA Stadium by scanning in with their membership to the venue on match day, subject to capacity.

Alternatively, Club members can guarantee their entry by purchasing a general admission ticket or upgrading to a Grandstand seat via the relevant ticket agent using their 2025 membership barcode, subject to availability.

Western Bulldogs v Essendon (practice match)

Saturday, February 15, 2pm AEDT
Whitten Oval, Footscray
(VFL match to take place at 5pm)

Ticketing information to follow in the coming days. Streaming available on KAYO.

Geelong v Essendon (AAMI Community Series)

Tuesday, February 25, 7:10pm AEDT
GMHBA Stadium, Geelong

Member pre-sale: 12pm (AEDT), Wednesday, February 5
General Public on sale: 3pm (AEDT), Wednesday, February 5

Streaming available on Foxtel and KAYO.