Essendon’s troubled start to the AFL season has deepened, with club legend Matthew Lloyd delivering a blunt assessment of a side he believes is lacking both confidence and competitiveness at the highest level.
The Bombers, coached by Brad Scott, remain winless after two rounds and sit bottom of the ladder with a percentage of just 55. Their struggles were highlighted in a heavy 63-point defeat to Port Adelaide, intensifying scrutiny ahead of a crucial round-three clash.
Following the loss, Scott did not shy away from the team’s shortcomings, admitting their performance reflected a deeper psychological issue within the squad.
“I think it’s part of it, yeah. Because it would be ridiculous of me to say that’s not the case,” he told reporters post-match.
“We’re not hard-nosed enough in defence … that’s not just the defenders, that’s all over the ground.
“I’m a coach who very rarely questions a lack of effort and a lack of fight. You know these guys well enough that they’ll always give that.
“But there’s no doubt we’re demoralised and that can appear to look like a lack of effort and a lack of fight.”
Lloyd echoed those concerns and went further, questioning the team’s overall intensity and standards just two rounds into the campaign.
“The scary part is it’s round two, so it’s not as if we’re at round 16-17 and your season’s over,” Lloyd said.
“They’ve played a couple of games and they’ve played with no passion. There’s a lack of confidence, lack of belief, it seems like a lack of understanding. I don’t see the intent to push back (in defence).
“It’s a hard watch because it’s not AFL level, it’s not AFL standard, and the coach pretty much conceded we’ve got players that aren’t working hard enough.”
Despite his criticism, Lloyd admitted frustration at repeatedly calling out the club, stressing his desire to see Essendon return to relevance.
“I’m tired of doing it to them because I just want them to be good and want them to be great,” he said.
“You want to turn up on Monday and say, ‘How good were they?’ Because I loved (Nate) Caddy, I loved (Isaac) Kako, I thought (Archie) Roberts was sensational. But they’re three kids – babies.
“They got nothing from the top end and I just see a side that’s just so low on confidence and they don’t know how to get out of their own way at the moment.”
Essendon’s next test comes against fellow strugglers North Melbourne Kangaroos at Marvel Stadium, with both sides searching for consistency early in the season.
North Melbourne, coached by Alastair Clarkson, opened their campaign with a win over Port Adelaide but failed to maintain momentum, surrendering a five-goal lead in a 17-point loss to West Coast Eagles.
Lloyd also criticised the Kangaroos’ inconsistency, suggesting their mentality remains a key issue.
“A bitterly disappointing loss … they celebrate (wins) too much and they get caught up in themselves and then they can’t back up,” Lloyd said.
“When’s the last time they won two in a row? Was it in Clarko’s first two games (in 2023)? It says a lot about this group.
“They are highly talented (but) they underperform.”
With both teams under pressure and searching for answers, Saturday night’s clash looms as a pivotal early-season encounter—one that could either ease the growing scrutiny or deepen concerns surrounding two of the AFL’s most inconsistent sides.
