Essendon smashed by GWS in horror Round 1 loss

Essendon was one of the buzz teams of the summer, but the blowtorch is set to be applied after an ‘embarrassing’ loss to GWS — one that coach John Worsfold didn’t see coming.

Dylan Shiel returned to his former home ground, but it was a miserable return. Picture. Phil Hillyard

Essendon coach John Worsfold said his battered Bombers looked “shell shocked” in a humiliating 72-point loss to Greater Western Sydney.

The Bombers unveiled their new-look midfield but were totally outplayed by a team missing some of their biggest names including star midfielders Callan Ward and Josh Kelly.

Essendon’s listless performance was one of its most disappointing losses in Worsfold’s reign as coach and its heaviest Round 1 defeat since 2004.

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Worsfold held the players back for 15 minutes in a post-match meeting to address the major deficiencies, saying they were poor in all parts of the ground.

Essendon managed to score only five goals for the game and failed to deliver any of the defensive improvements they have been refining all summer under new assistant coach Ben Rutten.

“You don’t expect to step out like that in Round 1 and be so off the mark against the opposition,” Worsfold said.

“We were very disappointed by that.

“Really, after maybe the 20-minute mark, they (Giants) dominated the game and contested possession, just from our fumbling I think.”

Essendon recruit Dylan Shiel walks off Giants Stadium.

It was a horror homecoming for Dylan Shiel, who had 25 possessions in his first outing for Essendon against his former team.

The ex-Giant looked devastated as he left the field after copping Bronx cheers from the GWS crowd at Giants’ Stadium.

“Overall we know what Dyl is going to deliver for us,” Worsfold said.

“Unfortunately, he was a part of a group which didn’t deliver.

“He’s hurting, as we all are, and (we’re) hungry to grow from that.”

Midfielder Zach Merrett was tagged by Matt De Boer and gathered only 16 disposals, while Jake Stringer (10 touches), Orazio Fantasia (nine) and Anthony McDonald Tipungwuti (five) were also down.

And the onslaught ramped up in the second half as GWS piled on six-last term goals.

Phil Davis and the Giants didn't give Jake Stringer an inch. Pic: AAP

AFL legend Wayne Carey said it appeared like the Bombers had surrendered late.

“They have given up,” Carey said on Triple M.

St Kilda legend Nick Riewoldt described the Bombers’ performance as “absolutely listless”, while AFL great Terry Wallace, at Giants Stadium commentating the match for AFL Nation, couldn’t believe Essendon’s horror afternoon.

“I can’t have them kicking just 4 goals in the game with players like Hurley, Stringer, Merrett, Heppell, Zaharakis, Smith, Shiel, Heppell, McGrath all in the side,” Wallace said during the final term.

“Something’s not right. It’s got to embarrassment levels.

“There will be some huge questions asked. You’d think they would be starting the season on a good note, but they’re in the same spot as they were 12 months ago.”

Essendon skipper Dyson Heppell after the loss.

Worsfold said his players failed to handle the greasy conditions under high pressure throughout.

They were beaten for centre clearances (12-6), marks inside 50m (16-6) and tackles (63-58).

Their ball use was also sloppy going inside 50m.

“Our players just looked a bit shell shocked,” he said.

“We couldn’t address anything in the game, so that last quarter didn’t look too much different to the second quarter in terms of contested possession and our ability to use the ball.

“We just looked flat and not up to their intensity,” he said.

“Slow build-ups, giving the opposition the chance to get numbers back, taking the wrong options and then finishing.

“We are not going to say there was one little area that was off tonight. It was pretty much everything.”

Worsfold said there was some honest feedback after the game and would look to address the issues at training this week ahead of next weekend’s clash against St Kilda.

Young Dylan would be rapt he choose Essendon 😂 should of come to the @CarltonFC

— Brendan Fevola (@BrendanFevola25) March 24, 2019

"I can't think of a worse performance by Essendon since the dying days of James Hird's coaching."

Do you agree with @heraldsunmick ? #AFLGiantsDons

— 3AW Football (@3AWisfootball) March 24, 2019

Essendon midfielder Zach Merrett says yesterday’s “embarrassing” 72-point loss shows how far the club is off the top teams.

Merrett said the Bombers looked “sluggish” and were soundly beaten by the Giants in the clinches and pressure stakes.

Merrett said the Bombers had to work hard to catch up to teams like Greater Western Sydney.

“I think everyone hopefully is going to be excited to turn up to train this week, knowing we are a long way of these top teams,” Merrett said.

“We know we will have to work hard to close that gap.”

Merrett said it was a particularly disappointing loss for new Bomber Dylan Shiel and ex-Giant Devon Smith against their old team.

“They are one one of us now but they will be disappointed to play the way and lose the way we did,” he said.

“As a group it’s an embarrassing way to start the year off.”

Midfielder Darcy Parish will come under selection consideration after kicking five goals in the VFL.

Originally published as Essendon smashed by GWS in horror Round 1 loss