Essendon coach John Worsfold says Bombers gunning for fast-start in 2019

JOHN Worsfold believes Essendon — armed with an easier Anzac draw — can explode out of the blocks next year after identifying the reasons why they limped to a 2-6 start to 2018.

Essendon coach John Worsfold hopes to leave Bombers fans smiling — just like Zach Merrett — with a fast start to next season. Picture: Getty Images

JOHN Worsfold believes Essendon can explode out of the blocks next year after a deep dive into why they limped to a 2-6 start to the season.

The Dons have been handed a more favourable draw around Anzac Day after last year’s horror fixture, just one reason Worsfold is confident.

Last season the Dons played three games in 11 days from Anzac Day on, losing against Collingwood and the next three contests.

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Essendon coach John Worsfold hopes to leave Bombers fans smiling — just like Zach Merrett — with a fast start to next season. Picture: Getty Images

This year as revealed by the Herald Sun Essendon plays on Good Friday, plays Anzac Day after a six-day break, then has at least seven days until the next contest.

The Bombers surged late this year but could never really recover from a tardy start which meant another season went by without a winning final.

Worsfold, contracted until 2020, believes there are reasons rather than excuses for why the Dons took so long to catch fire before a 10-4 finish to the year.

Dylan Shiel will add to a midfield that should stack up with any onball brigade in the competition, but Worsfold says there were myriad reasons for the start.

Essendon captain Dyson Heppell will be partnered in the midfield by star GWS recruit Dylan Shiel. Picture: Jason Edwards

“Absolutely you do. You weigh everything up. Number one thing last year we had (Cale) Hooker, (Joe) Daniher, (Dyson) Heppell, Devon Smith, (Jake) Stringer all in rehab up until Christmas and some of them well into January.

“I have made sure that’s not the case this year,’’ he said with a smile.

“So that is a stroke of good luck but also management.

“There is the Anzac Day fixture which was a real tough one for us last year, three games in 11 days.

“I have had a close look with everyone around the club about what were the possible factors that meant we started slowly and we believe we have addressed all the ones we can come up with.”

Woosha has the club set for big things in 2019. Picture: Michael Klein

Essendon moved on senior assistant Mark Neeld by mid-May but also took time to work out how its forward line operated without the injured Daniher.

“At the start of the year we didn’t know exactly how we would use Stringer or Smith. We had an idea but it was finding our feet with that.

We had Paul Corrigan in charge of our forward line for the first time so he was getting a feel for how those guys were going to work together.

“So we have learnt a lot from all of that and we learnt a lot in that first eight or nine weeks.”

The Bombers will attempt to find another ruckman after Matthew Leuenberger retired despite a contract offer in front of him.

Sam Draper is an exciting kid and Shaun McKernan can pinch-hit in the ruck, but the Bombers are aware they need to find backup in a thin market.

Today they delisted Matt Dea but agreed to contracts for Mark Baguley and Michael Long’s son Jake.