Scott on connection, setbacks and sticking together

Essendon’s nine-point defeat to Richmond at the MCG was a tough one to take, made even more bitter by the injuries sustained by Nic Martin and Will Setterfield.

Senior Coach Brad Scott didn't shy away from the disappointment in his post-match comments, admitting that the current personnel situation certainly impacted the team's performance. However, he highlighted a clear lack of synergy and connection that plagued the Bombers throughout the game. Despite the challenging circumstances, Scott emphasised the club's need to fight together, confront the situation head-on, and focus on the opportunities that playing AFL football presents.

All attention has now shifted to Thursday night's clash against the GWS Giants at Marvel Stadium.

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Scott on... the game flow

“Yeah, it’s not how AFL footy is supposed to look… 55 inside 50s but a complete lack of synergy and connection,” he said.

“It ends up looking like a lack of effort, but it’s rookie players making rookie errors. That’s understandable.”

“It was a comedy of errors. If you keep the ball in your front half for 80 percent of the quarter and don’t kick a goal, there are some serious issues.”

Scott on... the mounting injury toll

The mood was further soured by confirmation that star midfielder Nic Martin is almost certain to have suffered an ACL injury.

“It just sent a shiver down everyone’s spine,” Scott said of the quarter-time news.

“I can’t think of a situation like this in my time in footy. We’re just asking a lot of guys who haven’t played AFL before, and every week we put out a side that’s never played together.”

Scott on... coaching continuity

“It’s very hard to coach when you’re trying to bring a team together without being able to spend time training it.”

“It’s not the capability, it’s the continuity.”

“We’ve got to simplify our game and play based on effort and a system we can adhere to, because just blasting the ball inside 50 isn’t working.”

Scott on... forward-half frustrations

“Players are trying to invent things going forward. They only met Archer May five weeks ago.”

“Nate Caddy’s been exceptional. He was well held tonight, but he still continues to give enormous effort.”

Despite generating multiple forward-50 stoppages, the Bombers failed to capitalise on field position, which remains a clear area of focus.

Scott on... the rise and reality of youth

“It feels like every week I’m talking about players in their first year performing really well.”

“A lot of them struggled tonight. That’s not unusual for first-year players. It’s just unusual to have so many doing it all at once.”

While players like Oskar Smartt and Archer May have shown glimpses, Scott stressed that talent development takes time and continuity.

“The players are there. The issue is not capability, it’s continuity. You need time to work with them. But when you’re already young, and then you lose senior players every week, it breaks that growth apart.”

Still, Scott remains optimistic that these tough lessons will lay the foundation for future resilience and improvement.

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