Essendon great Matthew Lloyd has declared his former team “the worst side in the competition” as young gun Archie Roberts made an impassioned show of support for embattled coach Brad Scott, whose fight to stay in the job has been hit hard by another injury crisis.
Roberts also issued a rally cry to the Bombers faithful after the club’s bid for a pressure-relieving victory against Richmond was cruelled by a spate of injuries, leaving Scott’s men languishing at the bottom of the ladder with a hefty injury toll ahead of games against other bottom-four teams.
The crowded casualty ward at The Hangar, reminiscent of their awful run with injury in the second half of last year, adds a layer of complexity for the Bombers hierarchy in assessing Scott’s performance as coach.
As stony-faced Essendon fans filed out of the ground on Friday night after the Dons’ 23rd defeat from their past 24 games, Bombers president Andrew Welsh and chief executive Tim Roberts were locked in conversation in the dressing rooms deep in the bowels of the MCG. Such chats are common regardless of the result.
CEO Roberts was last week unequivocal in his support for Scott, but the numbers paint a bleak picture for fourth-year coach, who has tasted victory once in 365 days since the Dreamtime game on this weekend last year and won 29 out of his 80 games in charge at Essendon.
Already with 12 on their injury list before the round, the Bombers’ plight worsened with injuries to skipper Andrew McGrath, inspirational midfielder Sam Durham, promising forward Archer May, midfielder Jye Caldwell and small forward Matt Guelfi. Important defender Jordan Ridley is a chance to return this week.
They face West Coast and Carlton, 16th and 15th respectively, in the next fortnight – games that appeared highly winnable before the savage injury twist – but will now likely start outsiders.
Lloyd said the Bombers lacked confidence in their use of the ball, and the coach was to blame.
“I think you are still responsible as the coach if you can’t nail your fundamentals,” Lloyd said on Nine’s The Footy Show.
“That’s a coaching group, they have to be looked at. They have become the worst side in the competition. I think everyone would look at that and say how we got in this position?”
Roberts, one of the rebuilding Bombers’ most promising young players, said the players were right behind Scott, echoing the sentiments of former captain Zach Merrett.
“I hope he knows, and everyone knows, that he’s got the backing of all the players because we absolutely love him,” Roberts, 20, told this masthead on Friday night.
“I couldn’t speak any more highly of him, and I want him coaching me for the rest of my career, and I know everyone in this team does.
“I want him to know, and everyone else to know, that he’s got my backing, and every person on this list’s backing, and we absolutely love him to death.”
Club chief Tim Roberts declared last week Scott would coach the Dons next year.
“Yeah look, Brad is part of the strategy, he’s totally aligned. From where I sit, absolutely, Brad Scott’s going to be our coach,” the CEO told Seven.
Archie Roberts urged Bombers fans to continue to show up and support the team. Though a Richmond home game, there was strong red-and-black representation in the crowd of 78,815.
Roberts, May, Nate Caddy and Sullivan Robey were all among the Bombers’ better players in defeat.
“I hope they see what we’re building and the future ahead,” Archie Roberts said.
“This season’s not done, and we’re going to be taking it right up to every team we play this year, but I think they can see a lot of excitement.
“We love you guys [the supporters], and they’re awesome every single week, every year. Please keep turning up because we need them going into games. We felt them tonight, and without them, we’re no chance.”
The young Bomber said the loss cut him deep.
“It’s very raw, to be honest,” Roberts said. “When you have confidence going into a game and you work your arse off week after week, not getting the reward, feel like you’re building, and then for that to wait to end the way it did is so disappointing.
“I’m someone that sort of takes losses pretty hard. We’re going to go review it and go head over to WA next week and take it right up to West Coast.
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