Premiership coach Adam Simpson has raised concerns about Essendon’s playing identity, despite the team’s injury list providing some relief for coach Brad Scott’s immediate future. The struggling Bombers are currently at the bottom of the ladder, with no signs of improvement after a heavy loss to 17th-placed Richmond by 18 points in a chaotic match at the MCG.
The game, which was attended by 78,815 spectators, ended with a score of 10.14 (74) to 7.14 (56) in favor of the Tigers on Friday night. This defeat highlights the challenges facing Essendon as they continue to deal with a significant number of injuries.
Captain Andrew McGrath is set to undergo surgery for a broken jaw this week, while Archie May was hospitalized as a precaution after sustaining a blow to the kidney but was later cleared of serious damage. Sam Durham suffered concussion and will miss a match, Matt Guelfi will be out for at least three games due to a hamstring strain, and Jye Caldwell reaggravated an ankle syndesmosis injury, which will require monitoring ahead of their upcoming match against West Coast.
McGrath was discharged from the hospital early on Saturday morning after scans confirmed the fracture. He will now miss Essendon’s crucial clashes with the Eagles, Carlton, and Melbourne before their mid-season bye. The Bombers are now dealing with 18 players on their injury list, a situation that, ironically, may help protect Scott’s position despite the team’s poor performance over the last 24 games, where they have only managed one win.
Simpson commented on the challenges faced by Scott, stating, “That’s the challenge for Brad, regardless of the noise – how do you stay motivated when you’re planning your footy trip at round 11?” Essendon’s next five games will see them face West Coast, Carlton, Melbourne, North Melbourne, and St Kilda. Their only victory so far came against the Demons in the Gather Round.
Despite their depleted lineup, Simpson questioned whether the on-field performance masked a poor result for Essendon, especially considering they were beaten by an equally injured Richmond team. He noted, “You could see a real identity with Richmond from the very beginning.”
Simpson pointed out that the Tigers demonstrated a clear style of play, with their leaders clearly defined in their roles and positions. He added, “From a Richmond point of view, we saw a bit of identity, and for Essendon we saw more carnage, and perhaps another step back in the progression towards ultimately winning some games.”
Richmond’s spearhead Tom Lynch was hospitalized after sustaining a hit to the larynx during the match, and they also lost Jonty Faull to concussion. Forward Tom Sims suffered a suspected ACL injury during the Tigers’ VFL match on Saturday, marking his first game back in 268 days. Despite these setbacks, the Tigers have managed to move further away from the bottom of the ladder with their second win of the season.
In contrast, former Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley suggested that Scott needs to find ways to motivate his players, given that their season is effectively over. Hinkley stated, “You’ve got to go into this mode of how do I develop players if we feel like we can’t win.” He emphasized the difficulty of coaching under such circumstances.
Simpson highlighted that Essendon is still struggling to find its purpose amid a rebuild. He mentioned, “Then you look at (Tigers coach) Adam Yze. From the beginning, he wanted the spirit and fight bit as an underlying, ‘we do this no matter what’.” Simpson noted that the Tigers’ aggressive style of play is evident, with players like Tim Taranto, Tom Lynch, Jacob Hopper, Jayden Short, Nathan Broad, and Nick Vlastuin all playing their roles in a structured manner.
He concluded, “So it’s clear for me what evolution looks like for them, and when I look at the Bombers, I don’t think they’ve worked out their identity just yet, and even with a few injuries here and there, before the game we’re trying to work out what’s their DNA.” Simpson stressed the importance of defining a team’s identity, stating, “When you start at a club, you’ve got to put a few lines in the sand about, ‘this is us as a team, this is what we do well, and this is what we’re going to fall on when times are tough’. I they’re still working on that, let alone winning games.”
