Mick McGuane: The Essendon players under the spotlight after winless start to 2022 season

As Essendon slumped to its worst start to a season in 55 years, these are players analyst Mick McGuane says Ben Rutten desperately needs more from.

Friday night is footy’s biggest stage and this week three of the four teams had nowhere to hide.

Essendon has slumped to its worst start to a season since 1967 after going down despite a fighting display against reigning premier Melbourne.

It’s only three games into the season, but leading analyst Mick McGuane says Ben Rutten needs more from these six stars if the Bombers are going to salvage their 2022 campaign.

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Dyson Heppell

A captain needs to set the standard and lead from the front and Heppell has not done that over the first two rounds.

He was better last week against Brisbane after a Round 1 shocker against Geelong, but is still well off the pace compared to what he produced last year.

Heppell has averaged 15.5 disposals and 150 metres gained across centre wing or halfback for the Bombers this year, well down from his averages of 24.7 disposals and 382 metres gained last year.

He is at his best when reading where the opposition ball movement is going and intercepting the ball.

The 29-year-old does not look to be keeping up with the speed of the game early in the season and must find another gear.

Essendon captain Dyson Heppell has been off his best to start the season. Picture: Getty Images

Jake Stringer

We know what an asset Stringer is to Essendon.

He is a dynamic midfielder-forward who gives coach Ben Rutten great flexibility and has the ability to influence games like no other teammate can.

Yes, Stringer had some pre-season injury issues.

But he didn’t get himself fit enough to play in Round 1 and ran out of gas in the second half of his return game last week.

To my eye, Stringer needs to be about three kilograms lighter so he can quickly recapture his 2021 form that had him in the All-Australian conversation.

He wasn’t in the shape he should be at Round 2, which backs up the notion that perhaps Stringer might get a little too comfortable once he signs a new contract.

His club needs him to be at his absolute best, both physically and mentally — so get to work Jake.

Andrew McGrath

With Essendon’s most creative and consistent ball-winning midfielder Zach Merrett missing in action for up to two months, McGrath must be one of the players to step up and help fill the void.

The 2016 No. 1 draft pick had 29 touches in Round 1 but only logged one score involvement from them.

Is he an accumulator that’s just not creative and doesn’t hurt the opposition?

McGrath has now played 95 games and has kicked only 17 goals — poor for a player of his talent even though for periods he has played across halfback or as a defensive midfielder.

Time to readjust.

I hope Rutten has a change of mindset with McGrath’s role and challenges him to join in more Bombers offensive chains as a finisher and not just a starter of their attacks.

If he does, he needs to bring a creative mind to his play and finish off any scoring opportunities that present.

He is more than capable.

Essendon’s Sam Draper (left) has been strong in the ruck but needs to do more around the ground. Picture: Getty Images

Sam Draper

Such an imposing figure in the ruck, Draper has been giving his midfielders first use in the hit-outs over the first two rounds.

But if he wants to evolve his game, he needs to get to work a little more around the ground.

So far this year, Draper has only taken two marks centre-back to help out his defenders and not a single mark inside-50.

He is athletic and could be a serious roadblock for opposition ball movement if he can push back to assist his defence more often.
The question is, does he read the game well enough to do so?

With Harry Jones out injured, Peter Wright could also do with some help in attack and Draper must look to slide forward more often and become another aerial threat to the opposition defenders.

Watch what Max Gawn and Luke Jackson do as ruckman for Melbourne tonight.

Devon Smith

Smith won Essendon’s best-and-fairest in 2018.

This week, he has found himself dropped.

Smith is playing a different role now to what he did in 2018, but against Brisbane last weekend he recorded four disposals and no tackles.

It was the first time in his 176 game career that he didn’t record a single tackle in a match.

The small forward position isn’t easy to play, but that is not nearly good enough from Smith at a time the Bombers need him to step up in the absence of Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti and Will Snelling.

As an experienced player, when he returns he needs to win more ground balls and if he doesn’t win those, snap into a defensive mindset and apply pressure to lock the ball in.

Dylan Shiel

Sidelined with a side strain last week, Shiel provides the breakaway speed and run and carry that the Bombers desperately need.

However, the areas of concern as a centre-forward midfielder are his field kicking when going inside forward 50 and his goal kicking.

Essendon needs Shiel to improve in both areas.

Since joining the Bombers ahead of the 2019 season, Shiel has played 46 games and kicked 16 goals and 25 behinds.

As a collective, the Bombers midfielders need to hit the scoreboard more and he’s a part of that.

FINAL THOUGHT: In night footy, there is nowhere to hide.