Essendon great Matthew Lloyd has sung the praises of new Bombers coach Brad Scott, saying he has stabilised the once struggling club and created “career-best” footballers in a side that is pushing for a spot in the finals.
The Bombers, who sit in fifth position with nine wins in 2023, are looking every chance of playing finals thanks to Scott’s unforgiving philosophies, Lloyd believes.
“The stability at the club is first-rate,” Lloyd said on Nine’s Footy Classified on Monday Night.
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“I judge a coach by how many players are in career-best form and there are so many players at Essendon who are playing the best football that I have ever seen them play.”
Port Adelaide great Kane Cornes believes the new game plan Scott has introduced has elevated the club to a level only champion sides can uphold.
“For the first time, they’re actually being coached and are being made to be accountable to a system they know they are accountable to,” Cornes said on Monday night.
”The system with which they are now moving the ball, this is as good as you’ve seen.
“They are now covering all facets of the game.”
AFL journalist Caroline Wilson also praised Scott, saying the club they “laughed” at in the pre-season was now a genuine finals contender.
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“The stamping of authority and Brad Scott’s refusal to go along with some of the practices that were going on in the past has swept through the whole club,” Wilson said.
“Last year these players were said to be a bunch of introverts … No one’s saying that anymore.”
But the recent Essendon success may still come at a cost, with doubt clouding two key role players’ futures and what it could mean for the Bombers’ future.
With links to moves back home for Darcy Parish and Mason Redman, Scott said on Sunday that the club wouldn’t hang on to those who didn’t buy in to what the club was building.
“If you’ve got players who don’t want to be a part of it, perhaps they should go,” Scott said.
“We’re keen on keeping them … but as I said before, we’re not going to emotionally blackmail anyone.”
The Bombers head down to GMHBA Stadium on Saturday night to face Geelong in a must-win clash for both sides’ finals hopes.
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