Heppell will play his 253rd and final game at the Gabba on Saturday night.
Former Bombers captain Heppell announced his retirement last week but was not selected for a final home game against Sydney that Friday, when Essendon's season was still technically alive.
Instead, he will suit up for a 253rd and final time at the Gabba — a game that is a dead rubber for the Bombers, but could yet determine Brisbane's position within the top eight.
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The Bombers confirmed the news on Wednesday.
Essendon crashed out of the finals race officially on the weekend following their sixth loss in their past eight games.
It means they will miss finals for a third straight season after sitting in the top four for a large chunk of the 2024 campaign.
Heppell, 32, never played in a finals win across his 14-year career at Essendon, where he stayed loyal despite the club's debilitating supplements saga.
He was farewelled pre-game by Essendon fans last Friday, and after the match coach Brad Scott defended the decision not to play him against the Swans.
"Dyson has been very, very clear that his decision to retire, a big part of it was he talked to me about when someone has come through and is ready to take his spot and performed that he would know it was time," Scott said.
"We were still in contention, we pick our best team, and that's what we did.
"That's what everyone would expect us to do."
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Essendon coach Brad Scott says “everything is on the table” when it comes to list management decisions after a failed 2024 campaign with confirmation champion and former captain Dyson Heppell will get the farewell game fans wanted after the “gut-wrenching decision” to leave him out of last week’s final game in Melbourne.
Scott was widely criticised for leaving Heppell, who announced his retirement last week, out of the Bombers team that lost to the Sydney Swans at Marvel Stadium last Friday night, ending all hopes of making the finals.
Heppell instead did a walking lap of honour for what was the last game of the season in Melbourne for the Bombers who will play their final match against the Lions at the Gabba on Saturday night.
The match will now also be the 253rd and last for Heppell, with Scott on Wednesday adamant there was no ill will from the retiring champion, or other senior players at Essendon, about missing the game in Melbourne.
“Last week was a gut-wrenching decision but the decision is a simple one, you play your best team to try and qualify for finals,” Scott said on Wednesday.
“This week, we’re out of contention but there’s also the fact there’s a very clearly defined role for him.
“I can understand that sentiment is a really big part of our game and Dyson Heppell will go down as a legend of this club and leave an indelible legacy on this place.
“But ultimately, my job is very difficult in that I have to deal with sentiment, but ultimately to get Essendon back to playing and winning finals. That’s what we are trying to do.
“We won’t let anything staff in the way of that and that includes sentiment”
One last dance for Hepp 🫡 pic.twitter.com/nSFOhLPk08
— Essendon FC (@essendonfc) August 21, 2024
Heppell will retire having never played in a winning final after the Bombers missed September for a third straight season after being in the top four at the midpoint of 2024.
Scott conceded the failure to capitalise on that position was “bitterly disappointing” and would lead to changes to the list for 2025.
He was reluctant to declare what that meant for out-of-contract star Jake Stringer, but said 36- year-old ruckman Todd Goldstein would likely be at the club next season in some capacity.
Scott said the Bombers built up expectations “including our own” by winning eight of the first 11 games, before winning just three of the next 11 which ensured “improving out list” was a major priority during the trade and draft periods.
“I’d be bitterly disappointed too if I was in a fan’s position. We built up everyone’s expectations, including our own, and we’ve fallen short of that,” he said.
“The reality is we have to continue to work to build a stable and sustainable base so that we can challenge.
“The easy but also correct answer is that everything’s on the table as we continue to improve our list. We need to improve our list.”
