Essendon coach John Worsfold labels Round 3 loss to Western Bulldogs his worst

ESSENDON and coach John Worsfold endured some dark days in 2016 as they faced the competition’s cream with a makeshift team. But nothing that season was as bad as what the coach saw at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

Bombers coach John Worsfold after the loss. Pic: AAP

ESSENDON coach John Worsfold has described his team’s dismal 21-point loss to the Western Bulldogs as the poorest performance in his time at the Bombers.

The senior coach delivered a savage post-game assessment, saying his side was smashed in all parts of the contest and were lucky to be within four goals at the final siren.

He said the club would investigate why the players appeared to go into “self-preservation mode” and warned that repeat offenders would face the selection axe.

“I don’t think we could play any worse across all aspects of the game,” Worsfold said.

“Maybe clearance numbers and contested possessions showed up OK, but everything else was poor.

“I don’t think even in 2016 (during the supplement scandal suspensions) we played that poorly.”

Bombers coach John Worsfold hated what he saw on Sunday. Pic: Getty Images

Essendon was one of the most-hyped teams in the competition after a golden trade period but face the prospect of slipping to 1-3 unless they can upset Port Adelaide at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

Worsfold said while the decision-making, ball use, defending and workrate would all have to improve, the players’ attitude was the big problem.

“I’m disappointed, really disappointed and the challenge is there for us to learn from it,” he said.

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“We have got to work out where the strengths in our squad are but tonight was nothing really about personnel and how we lined up.

“Tonight was about attitude to committing to the game.”

Essendon has rejigged its defensive structure this year but Worsfold said it failed the test yesterday as the Bulldogs racked up 34 scoring shots.

“That is the challenge when you change something, you make it new it doesn’t mean you are going to perfect it in the first couple of weeks in the season,” he said.

Joe Daniher’s attempted handball to Josh Green was costly. Pic: Getty Images

“We will stick at it and we will build it and get a better understanding of it and the players who refuse to perform that way will be putting their spots in jeopardy.

“So we will find out who wants to buy into the way we want to play and the players have already challenged themselves on that.”

Star midfielder Zach Merrett was kept to only 13 touches by Mitch Honeychurch.

Worsfold said Joe Daniher’s blundered handball late in the game was another example of a poor decision from his team.

“Kicking an easy goal from 10m out when you have taken a brilliant mark up there, but we couldn’t even make a decision around that in the end,” he said.

“Even if we got within nine points, the pattern of the night was that we weren’t going to be smart enough to finish this game off.”

Worsfold said he spoke to Daniher after the match about the brain fade.

“He will know why he made that decision and he will have now processed what he should have done and why it was the wrong decision,” he said.

“He obviously believed (Josh) Green was going to get through (to kick a goal).”