Essendon Faces Challenges as Losing Streak Continues
Essendon coach Brad Scott has acknowledged the growing challenge of keeping the team motivated despite a series of losses. The Bombers are currently experiencing a club-record-equalling 17-match losing streak, a situation that echoes the difficulties faced in 2016 when their season was affected by WADA suspensions.
The Dons have also started the season with their worst performance in 59 years, following a five-game losing streak in 1967. Despite these setbacks, Scott remains optimistic about the team’s resilience.
“It’s just one of those facts that you have to deal with,” Scott said. “And, yes, potentially it can get demoralising, but that’s what we’re fighting against, and that’s the challenge that we’re all faced with.”
Scott emphasized the importance of leadership within the team. “I’m faced with it as coach, our leaders are faced with it and people ask a lot of the time, ‘What do you want from your leaders?’ Well, they need to keep the group galvanised and they need to perform on field – they’re the two major things you want from your leaders.”
He is confident that the long losing streak hasn’t affected the playing group’s spirit. “They’re being challenged in that space as much as you can imagine,” Scott said.
After giving up 10 of the first 11 goals to the Western Bulldogs on Sunday night at Marvel Stadium, Essendon fought back to outscore the premiership fancies by 20 points in the second half. However, they still suffered a 34-point defeat.
“The start of the game today you’d think that if a team was going to capitulate, it would’ve been about the 25-minute mark of the first quarter,” Scott said. “I have a lot of belief in the character of the group and the individual players that we’ve recruited and they’re showing that fight without the reward at the moment.”
While Scott praised the response from his side after half-time, he expressed disappointment with the way they started the game. “We talked about getting on the front foot and, really, they got on the front foot,” Scott said.
Scott highlighted the efforts of former captain Zach Merrett in turning the tide after the major break. “Really, the third quarter started to look like how we wanted it to look like from the start of the game,” Scott said. “To be able to wrestle back some sort of control around the third quarter was pleasing, but we need to put it together for longer.”
Scott noted some incremental improvements following Essendon’s disastrous opening fortnight to the season. “Our pressure was non-existent in the first two rounds of the year – that has looked very different the last two weeks,” he said. “Our execution is still a work in progress, but at least it was better tonight. We connected a bit better inside forward 50.”
Talented, but injury-prone, Zach Reid didn’t play the final quarter due to hamstring tightness. While the key defender was keen to see out the game, Scott ruled that out due to the 24-year-old’s extensive injury history. Meanwhile, fellow backman Jordan Ridley is set to play his first senior game next week against Melbourne.
