Early indications are Essendon will adopt a new defensive structure under Brad Scott, with the Bombers tipped for “drastic” change in 2023.
The disastrous season that was in 2022 has come and gone, with plenty of optimism around The Hangar going forward. Brad Scott has replaced Ben Rutten and has a new-look football department around him as the Bombers look to return to the form that saw them play finals in 2021.
But there’s plenty of issues for Scott to fix, not least a defence that conceded the third-most points of any club last year.
After watching Essendon’s pre-season training, leading AFL analyst David King believes Scott has already made moves.
He’s also keen to see what positional changes Essendon implements as clubs near the time for scratch matches.
“I’m looking forward to seeing some scrimmage games to see what they actually play (captain Dyson) Heppell,” King said on SEN’s Dwayne’s World.
“We know (Andy) McGrath is probably going to go to half back.
“Where does Nik Cox – who’s missed a little bit of pre-season, he was back out there yesterday - where does he line up under Brad Scott’s plan?
“It looked like they were training some more zone and defensive plays rather than a rusted on, one-on-one defensive unit.
“So that will be great for players like (Jayden) Laverde, (Mason) Redman and obviously (Jordan) Ridley, they’ve been challenged to be an unbelievable defence given a tidal wave coming at them more often than not.
“So I think there’s drastic change there… there will be drastic change with Brad Scott taking over at Essendon.”
Scott, linking up with new president David Barham and new CEO Craig Vozzo, has been tasked with getting the Bombers’ first finals win since 2004.
King believes deprived Essendon fans may know how their side will fare over the next six weeks of pre-season.
The Bombers have stars on every line but a number weren’t always at their best in 2022. The dual premiership Kangaroo says consistent training is crucial over the coming weeks for a side accused of lacking standards, and injuries could be disastrous.
“I do think that this month or six week block of football in terms of pre-season training is as critical as any for all the top line players to not give their opposition an advantage through fitness or preparation,” King added.
“I’ve never seen a player miss December and January and come out and have an outstanding, All-Australian (calibre) year.
“You just don’t see it, you want to see them on the track more often than not.”
Following Essendon’s external review, Barham said Scott has been tasked with lifting standards around the club and running a harder pre-season for players.
Jake Stringer and Zach Reid are two Bombers who were on modified programs, but were expected to resume full training early in the new year.