Anzac Day analysis: The signs that prove Essendon’s dismal decade of misery is finally over
Essendon’s promising start will face a huge test after one of the club’s defensive linchpins was ruled out for an extended period. Where does Brad Scott turn now? FULL ANALYSIS
AFL
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Kyle Langford has been through it all Essendon.
Five senior coaches. Numerous false dawns. The broken hearts.
But this feels different at Tullamarine.
Walking off the MCG on Tuesday afternoon Langford was gutted to surrender a 28-point lead as Collingwood’s final-quarter magic carpet swept Craig McRae’s men to another comeback win on the biggest day of the regular season.
Langford had booted three goals in another strong forward-half display and looked the difference in the Bombers’ second-term burst.
But one of the league’s most versatile players is already getting his head around a shift into defence for the clash against Geelong in five days at the MCG.
Twin towers Tom Hawkins and Jeremy Cameron await and Essendon’s full-back, Jayden Laverde, has hurt his shoulder, leaving a considerable hole in the back line.
Langford, 26, knows he might have to move into defence to help, even though his star is shining as much as ever in attack.
But beyond the positional switches and the heartache of Tuesday’s Anzac Day defeat, Langford feels something brewing beneath the red sash.
Something more sustainable.
In 2023, the Bombers are hard to play against and defending well for the first time since James Hird was coach.
They’re more systematic, Essendon. More organised.
Less flaky.
And Langford feels it, too.
“I love the direction we are going,” Langford said.
“Brad (Scott) has been a fresh influence on the group, and myself.
“I have been here nine years, and this is probably the first time I feel like what we are building is going to be really strong.
“Hopefully we can play some finals in the next couple of years.”
When Scott stepped through the doors at Tullamarine, he was straight forward as always.
The club has been horrific defensively for as long as any Essendon fan can remember.
And even without top-10 picks Zach Reid and Nik Cox, who are key pillars in the long-term list planning, they have the fourth-best defence over the first six games.
They had kept Collingwood goalless in the first term on Anzac Day until Jordan De Goey nailed a long one on the siren, and held sway until the dam wall finally broke in the last term without their full back.
That is when Collingwood, the AFL’s final-quarter specialists, broke-free with 20 inside 50s to four in the last term.
Scott said the problem was up the ground. They missed Merrett as Collingwood flexed its midfield muscle.
“That was not even about our defence. It was the fact that we couldn’t get our hands on the ball,” Scott said on Fox Footy after the game.
“We really badly lost the contest at ground level and couldn’t get the ball forward or get control of it.
“There’s progression for us and to get 28 points ahead of a good side like Collingwood (was encouraging) but as painful as it was (to lose) - we will learn a lot about our last quarter.”
Considering the last two rounds of last year when the Bombers were nutted by Port Adelaide and Richmond by a combined 150 points which prompted a sweeping club overhaul, the steps forwards this year have been enormous.
But why are they a better defensive team?
Why is there more belief?
How has the club lifted?
Langford credits Scott’s coaching group, the buy-in from the players who have fully invested in the team-first mantra, and a complete redesign of the defensive system which “is working”.
A dismal decade for the club has come to an end, and a new dawn based on system defence has begun.
Langford knows it well because he could be told on Thursday he is headed back there to help replace Laverde.
In a sense, Langford is the modern day swingman. A gun forward who is required to go back.
But in a nutshell, the Bombers are more united, more consistent, more knowledgeable and more connected in the back end.
It is why they were ranked second for defending turnovers this year – compared to 16th last year – and third for conceding scores per inside 50m heading into the Collingwood game.
Perhaps most importantly, the plan is simplified and clearer.
That’s Scott’s one-wood, the clarity of it all. That was his number one agenda item when he took over from Ben Rutten.
“We are a pretty different group to what we were last year, although there is similar personnel,” Langford said.
“Brad has brought in a new defensive system. And it is working.
“We have seen it against Collingwood, we have seen it over the past month.
“We will have a look at the last quarter, what went wrong. It was a six-goal turnaround I think.
“I thought it was a game we thought we probably should have won.
“But it is a team defence, we are not relying on things one-on-one.
“We want our back-six to be really strong and assertive and having really good support from our mids and our forwards.
“We want to come back at our opponents.
“We want to hold up. We are playing some really good footy and we have another good test against Geelong on Sunday.”
They kept Melbourne to 77 points last weekend, but the test against the Cats without Laverde will be their toughest yet.
Cameron and Hawkins nailed 10 goals between them on Saturday night in the grand final rematch against Sydney Swans and the Bombers are up against it off a five-day break.
Changes will be required to inject some fresh legs.
Langford, who shushed a Collingwood fan after kicking back-to-back goals in the second term, is ready for anything.
“It comes pretty naturally, both half back and half forward,” he said.
“It is a bit of a week-to-week thing at the moment.
“Jayden has gone down, so we will see how he goes this week. I could end up half back next week.
“I don’t really care where I go, but it is good to have an impact and good to be playing footy.
“I love footy I love being out there. As a junior I played all different positions. I love competing.”
Clearly, Langford had options to go elsewhere last year when he turned down his free agency opportunities to re-sign with the Bombers amid a serious hamstring injury which ruined a large part of his year.
But he is glad he remained.
“I had some conversations with the club last year and obviously I spent I think 14 weeks out with the hammy surgery,” he said.
‘But I love the club.”
Darcy Parish and Mason Redman face the same contract crossroad this year as top free agents, but Langford is optimistic about the overall build, and the chances they’ll re-sign.
“It’s their decision. They’re Essendon people through-and-through. I can’t see them going anywhere,” Langford said.
But for now the next day or two will be tough to scrutinise the letdowns and mistakes which cost them against the Magpies.
Langford said despite the encouraging start to the season going 4-2, the Anzac Day loss to one of the best teams in the comp still cut deep.
Even without their best player and superstar captain Merrett who will come back in for the clash against the Cats.
“We are pretty gutted,” Langford said.
“Really disappointed.
“It is one that we are going to have to review pretty hard because for three quarters we were right it in it.
“Last quarter they just beat us in the contest.
“There is no doubt our system is working. We will have a look at the game and review it pretty hard.”
‘Overdone’: Shock Welcome to Country take
The former Geelong forward and proud Aboriginal man has very strong feelings about “overdone” Welcome to Country ceremonies.
Former umpire stuck in two-year legal limbo
Michael Pell’s lawyer says the former umpire has no interest in officiating as his legal limbo approaches two years since he was arrested over a Brownlow Medal insider scandal.