Essendon legend Matthew Lloyd has put a line through the Bombers’ finals dream this year following a “horrible” round five loss.
The team was embarrassed on Easter Sunday in a 48-point thumping at the hands of Fremantle – a side not tipped to do much serious damage in the competition this year.
There was only three points in it at half time, but then the Dockers ran rampant to kick 10 unanswered goals and steam away with a 16.11 (107) to 8.11 (59) win in enemy territory.
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The Bombers – who were once again tipped as a major improver by AFL experts this year and considered a genuine finals threat – have one win in five starts. They’ve conceded the most points in total in the entire competition this season.
“I’m putting a line through them right now,” Lloyd told AFL Media of his club featuring in finals.
“Really, really disappointing – there’s losing and there’s losing the way they lost yesterday.
“They were outworked by Fremantle through work rate. I thought they were too tough for them, Fremantle. I thought they were out-coached from a strategy perspective by [Fremantle coach] Justin Longmuir.
“I thought Essendon had no answers in terms of their inside-50 work – it was (kick it to) Peter Wright, sit it on his head… there was nothing other than that.
“Through the midfield… those guys didn’t want to work as hard as the [Andrew] Brayshaws and those types of players wanted to work through the midfield.
“It was damning just about in every department and then [Matthew] Taberner kicked seven [goals], which sums it up, pretty much – players don’t really do that very often. So it was very, very poor.”
Lloyd hasn’t been impressed by a single aspect of Essendon’s game so far this season, but he is disappointed by the midfield in particular.
He singled out Bombers medal winner and midfield gun Darcy Parish for failing to run both ways.
“I don’t know anyone who’s enhanced their reputation at Essendon,” Lloyd said.
“Does [Parish] want to work hard to chase? No, he doesn’t. That’s lazy from Darcy Parish. That is symbolic of Essendon’s day yesterday.
“It was a horrible, horrible loss.”
The Bombers next face Collingwood in the AFL’s most anticipated annual grudge match on Anzac Day.
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