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0 Matthew Llloyd believes Essendon will come into their own in 2024, declaring that they should embrace the “sugar hit” after their strong off-season recruiting.
After round 17 last season, Essendon were sitting in fifth on the ladder, before a fall from grace saw them miss the finals in heartbreaking fashion.
Essendon has not won a final since 2004.
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Lloyd is confident that the Bombers have recruited strongly in the off-season, pushing their case for making the top eight, despite their own senior leaders playing down their chance of featuring in September.
“Talk about sugar hits, they’ve just recruited four players who are playing this week. (Todd) Goldstein, (Ben) McKay, (Jade) Gresham and (Xavier) Duursma,” Lloyd said on Nine’s Footy Classified on Wednesday night.
Senior player Darcy Parish declared he and teammates are “sick” of being “mediocre”, calling on fans to stick fat as they navigate the long journey back to September through their rebuild.
“There’s a lot of us now that are sick of just being a mediocre team and we’re all striving towards success together,” Parish said before round one.
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“I think it’s just hanging in there, the fans that are obviously so passionate. We’re trying to do our best and get us back to where we deserve to be and want to be as a football club.”
However, Lloyd has warned the Bombers to snap out of their long term rebuild mindset, instead urging them to embrace their strong off-season recruiting and push for success in the present.
“I think you’ve got to be careful that it doesn’t seep in to your players and everyone that ‘it’s going to be a long process, it’s going to be a long journey (to success)’, because you’re never that far away, particularly with how many early selections they’ve had in the draft,” Lloyd said.
“Everyone says the list isn’t any good, but the list isn’t good when you’re not connecting as a club and you’re not playing big time footy.”
Coach Brad Scott also urged Essendon fans to remain patient as the club slowly builds towards a September appearance, doubling down on the idea that no Essendon person wants a “short term sugar hit”.
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However, Geelong triple premiership star Jimmy Bartel questioned Scott’s mindset, pushing Essendon to attempt to push for success that lasts longer than just one year.
“Why can’t you be ambitious to play finals and then (have) sustained success. I don’t get ‘we’re no good this year, because we’re ready to (compete) in eight years’. I just don’t buy into that,” Bartel said.
Essendon are facing Hawthorn at the MCG on Saturday afternoon.
