Revealed: Bombers were $2-3 million under salary cap when Ben Rutten was axed

Ben Rutten took the Bombers to finals in 2021, then was axed in 2022 as the regime changed at Essendon. Since, they’ve splashed the cash but the problems appear the same.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – NewsWire Photos SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2022: Newly-appointed senior coach Brad Scott, with Essendon President David Barham, speaking to the media at the NEC Hangar. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nicki Connolly

Essendon has failed to make significant on-field progress since it was more than $2 million under the salary cap with the second-youngest team in 2022.

The Herald Sun can reveal the Bombers were between $2-3 million under the cap when Ben Rutten was coach, which allowed the club to forward pay contracts and create space for their ongoing free agent frenzy.

Last year they landed Todd Goldstein, Jade Gresham and Ben McKay and this year they had a crack at Ben Ainsworth (Gold Coast) but missed out.

They have the sixth-oldest team in 2024 and the fourth-worst percentage in the AFL.

Rutten took the club to finals in 2021 with a percentage of 109.1, which stands as its best since 2003.

But a civil war erupted at the end of 2022 and Rutten was sacked as David Barham seized power to become president.

Rutten was axed at the end of the 2022 season. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Directors Paul Brasher (president), Simon Madden, Peter Allan and Sean Wellman departed and chief executive Xavier Campbell resigned as Rutten supporters.

Barham appointed Brad Scott as coach and the club went all-in on player development in a bid to accelerate their youngsters.

They went from 2.5 development coaches (2022) to 5.5 (2023).

Three players have made their AFL debut under Scott – Alwyn Davey Jr (18 games), Elijah Tsatas (11) and Nate Caddy (6). That is the least debutants in the AFL for 2023-24.

Insiders say Archie Roberts’ GPS numbers have been AFL standard for months and he has been a cultural driver in the VFL side.

But the wingman has not been given a game.

High draft picks Tsatas and Ben Hobbs are also languishing in the VFL, along with ruckman Nick Bryan and Will Setterfield.

The Bombers seemed to be the big winners of the 2023 off-season. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Tsatas has had 38, 31, 34 and 34 disposals in the past month.

The Bombers should secure two more players in the first-round of this year’s strong draft.

They hold pick No. 9 and will match a bid for Next Generation Academy small forward Isaac Kako, who is rated around pick 15-20.

This year the Bombers further beefed up their football department by appointing psychologist Dr Ben Robbins as mental skills coach and David Rath as a coaching innovator to help plan and review training sessions.

But for all of the investments the Bombers have lost six out of their past eight games in what is shaping as an encore to last year’s winter wipe-out.

They spent three months in the top eight, but were displaced following Saturday’s insipid loss to St Kilda.

The first two of those losses – to Gold Coast and Carlton – were of little concern internally because coaches believed they had played a sustainable and finals-like brand.

They were +30 for forward-half intercepts – they won the count 38-9 against the Blues – but failed to cash in as they bombed away with repeat inside 50s.

They have lost the inside 50m count on only five occasions this year and rank No. 3 for inside 50m differential (behind Brisbane and Footscray).

Kyle Langford, who plays game No. 150 on Saturday, has had the goalkicking yips since his costly miss late on Anzac Day.

Langford was 68.31 from the start of 2023 until that kick and has gone 20.16 since.

Selection has alienated some supporters with Peter Wright playing in downpours of rain at the MCG against Geelong and Melbourne and then dropped for a match under the Marvel Stadium roof against Adelaide.

The continued non-selection of Roberts, Tsatas, Hobbs and the Davey twins would be harder to justify without a finals berth.

Scott’s No. 1 focus on arrival was defence and it is paying fullback McKay $1.3 million this year.

But the club’s defensive profile has slightly regressed from 2023. In Scott’s 11 years as an AFL coach he has coached a team to be ranked top-six defensively only once.

The past 19 premiers have all been ranked top-six defensively.

Champion Matthew Lloyd expected Fremantle to extinguish Essendon’s September hopes on Saturday and said that would make for “another really poor year and the fans couldn’t be more frustrated”.

But internally the club believes it has made enormous strides culturally with their training standards improving.

Last off-season 14 Bombers flew to Arizona for a training camp.

There is also complete faith in Scott, who is regarded as the complete coach both on and off the field, which is important for a big club.

The club faces critical list decisions on the likes of out-of-contract veterans Dyson Heppell and Jake Stringer as well as whether to trade Dylan Shiel.

Speaking on Fox Footy, Garry Lyon accused the Bombers of being in it for “the glory, not the grind” and content with flash in the pan performances.

Former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley said their best was “more than good enough” and put the acid on the players with four games remaining.

“This is a locker room issue,” Buckley said on On The Couch.

“The players have to own it and have minimum standards about how they approach the next month. If they want it, it’s (finals) there.”