Essendon’s 8-4-1 record this season has highlighted the competitiveness they want to be known for under Brad Scott, but the Senior Coach is firmly focused on getting even more out of his developing group in the second half of 2024.
Last week’s aptly timed bye round could see the Bombers regain up to four players including Xavier Duursma and Sam Draper for their next fixture against the Eagles, welcome reinforcements for a big run towards the end of the season.
With four of Essendon’s remaining nine fixtures coming against current top eight sides, the challenges ahead will provide a good measuring stick for their credentials, as well as an opportunity to rebound from a couple of inaccurate performances in their last two losses.
Speaking to SEN’s Whateley on the station’s Essendon Membership Day, Scott gave an insight into the coaching group’s view of the side’s season to its halfway point.
“While things are going reasonably well, we’ve still got a heap of improvement in us,” Scott said.
“I talk to the players a lot about the hardest thing in the game (being) generating opportunity, and you generate opportunity from winning contests and competing and defending really well.
“We’ve done that reasonably well throughout the first half of the year but in particular the last couple of weeks we haven’t been able to take the opportunities we’ve created. We’ve had a really good look at our forward half efficiency and areas for us to improve there.”
In Scott’s eyes, the improved efficiency going forward will come, but there’s still no substitute for effort and intent, which both senior and younger leaders at the club have driven this season across all lines of the ground.
The rapid rise of Sam Durham as a midfield bull has been a well-documented storyline in the first half of the season alongside skipper Zach Merrett’s inspired form, but Scott’s also quick to praise other leaders setting the example for the team’s evolution into a defensively sound, competitive unit.
“We’re incredibly fortunate to have Zach lead us, but he’s also incredibly fortunate to have observed Dyson Heppell up close over a long period of time,” Scott said.
“Dyson’s shouldered the burden over a 10-year period through some incredibly difficult and tumultuous times, and I can’t speak highly enough of Dyson’s professionalism, his on-and-off-field leadership. Zach’s really learnt from that and put his own slant on the way he wants to lead.
“I trace (Durham’s form) back to a decision to go and live with Andy McGrath and observe up close how he prepares himself for training and games. By Sam’s own admission, that’s just transformed the way he prepares for AFL footy and it’s transparent through to his performances this year.
“We’re pretty fortunate that we’ve got some really strong emerging leaders.”
Another of those emerging talents for the Bombers is defender Nik Cox, who’s finding his feet with an uninterrupted run of games at the top flight.
Finding the best role for Cox has been another challenge for the coaching group over the course of this season, with the versatile 22-year-old venturing forward in recent weeks to hit the scoreboard and add new layers to his game.
“The exciting thing (about Cox) is he’s got supreme capability. Because he’s so versatile, he can play in all parts of the ground,” Scott said.
“’Coxy’ hasn’t been able to get a clean run at it for a few years up until this year, but now he’s had (continuity) combined with a renewed outlook on how to prepare, he’s starting to emerge.”
Positional headaches will keep coming for the Dons, predominantly in their tall stocks as the coaching group assesses the potential return of Sam Draper and Nick Bryan’s terrific VFL form.
“Nick Bryan’s had limited opportunity but is a definite AFL ruckman (who’s) been pushing really hard and Goldstein’s been terrific for us as well, so we’ve still got a fair bit to work through.
“(Draper’s) made a really solid return from his minor knee surgery. We expect him to be available from this point on, it’s just a matter of when we pull the trigger.
“He’s an energiser for us. When ‘Drapes’ plays and plays well, we look like a good team.”
While the Bombers have their heads down in attacking the back half of the campaign, they aren’t shying away from fan expectations either, keen to embrace the possibilities at hand if results keep going their way on account of strong effort.
“We absolutely should be aware of our standing and what is possible, but never take our eye off what’s really important,” Scott said.
“That’s the things I’ve spoken about, contest, our defensive intent, our efficiency with the ball moving forward, they’re the things that’ll lead to the outcomes.
“I don’t think it’s ever the finished product, there’s no secret most teams would have a similar philosophy in terms of what they want their team to look like and that’s (being) absolutely competitive in all phases of the game.
“You can embrace the possibilities, but as soon as you start hoping, you’re in trouble. We’ve just got to make sure our players are focused on what our fans want to see, and that’s a real appetite for the contest. If we keep bringing that, we’ll give ourselves our best chance.”