Bombers’ Dismal Start Puts Coach Brad Scott Under Immense Pressure
The 2026 AFL season has begun with an ominous cloud hanging over the Essendon Football Club, as a crushing ten-goal defeat has intensified scrutiny on senior coach Brad Scott. Essendon legend Matthew Lloyd did not hold back in his assessment of the playing group’s performance, labelling it a “horror show” and expressing deep concern over fundamental defensive frailties.
The Bombers’ campaign kicked off at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday night, and after a competitive opening quarter, the wheels spectacularly fell off. Hawthorn, the opposing side, significantly lifted their intensity, and Brad Scott’s charges were simply unable to keep pace. While there was early attention on Zach Merrett, following speculation about a potential trade to the Hawks, he managed a solitary highlight with a well-executed goal. However, this proved to be a rare moment of brightness for Essendon.
Throughout the second and third quarters, Hawthorn asserted complete dominance, piling on an impressive 13 goals from their 23 scoring opportunities. This relentless pressure exposed significant weaknesses within the Essendon lineup.
Matthew Lloyd, a premiership player for the Bombers and the club’s fourth-highest goalkicker of all time with 926 career goals, was scathing in his critique. Speaking on 3AW Radio, he did not sugarcoat his disappointment. “They were out of their depth, they were so poor defensively,” Lloyd stated emphatically. “It is the way they lost, alarm bells would be ringing. Watching it live, the players don’t know what to do. A lot of them were lazy.”
Lloyd’s concerns extend beyond a single poor performance. “I’m really concerned at what I saw. It is deflating, because (for me) it has been a weakness of the club in Brad Scott’s time (as head coach),” he added, highlighting a recurring issue that has plagued the club.
The statistical reality for Essendon is stark. The club has now endured a demoralising streak of 14 consecutive losses, with their last victory dating back to May of the previous year against Richmond. This alarming run of form places significant pressure on Brad Scott. If he cannot swiftly galvanise his playing group and engineer a turnaround, he could become the first senior AFL coach to face the sack in the 2026 season.
Despite the overwhelming nature of the defeat, Scott attempted to find silver linings, pointing to promising debuts from young players Dyson Sharp, who kicked two goals, and Max Kondogiannis, who registered 15 disposals. “There are reasons to be optimistic,” Scott commented. “We’ve just got to execute better than we are at the moment, (and) pretty quickly.”
He acknowledged the gulf in class between his team and the league’s elite. “Our (playing) group is resilient, but there’s a gulf between where we are right now and where the best teams are.”
The Bombers face a challenging upcoming schedule. Their next fixture is against Port Adelaide on March 22, followed by a clash with fellow struggling side North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium just six days later. These matches will provide an early indication of whether Essendon can arrest their slide and demonstrate any signs of improvement under Scott’s leadership. The club’s supporters will be desperately hoping for a significant shift in performance to avoid a repeat of the dispiriting start to the season.
