AFL 2020: 10 games isn’t enough for Bombers to bed down new game plan

Essendon has just seven games to go to find its best in 2020, and coach John Worsfold said his team was in the “early stages” of doing just that.

Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti hasn’t been at his best. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Essendon coach John Worsfold says a 10-game sample size this season is not enough to judge his team as they continue to embed a game plan which still needs work.

The Bombers have dropped to 11th on the ladder, with a game in hand, following last Friday’s narrow loss to GWS and are staring at two matches in five days against Gold Coast on Wednesday and St Kilda on Sunday.

Critics have started to circle Essendon which is also working through a coaching handover from John Worsfold to senior assistant Ben Rutten, who will take over next year.

Amid accusations the Bombers have to decide whether they are building to a premiership, or in a rebuild, Worsfold said his team was working through a game plan shift which needed more time.

“Our focus is on the way we want to play footy, the game style that we want to bring and consistently play. We are in the very early stages of that,” Worsfold said on Monday.

“What are we, round 10 ? We’ve only had that may opportunities to play our game plan and with the training restrictions that is slowing up our progress in that regard.

“Some of it fits in with what we have been doing in the past and are building towards, some of it is subtle changes and language changes and how we refer to it.

“We’re embedding a plan that everyone is going to be clear on and everyone is going to get more clear on the more we play it, practise it, review it and put it in to action.

“We all have some frustrations at times around wanting to get there quicker. But our commitment to what we are trying to do is what’s going to get us to the end result we are looking for.”

The Bombers have used 34 players this season already, and with injuries continuing to mount, Worsfold said he had “full faith” in the club’s depth to cover all losses.

He also backed Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti to recapture his best form, with the livewire a victim of the Bombers’ forward line injury woes.

"He's not far off [his best]. He's playing some pretty good footy for us and his pressure is, as always, a strong part of his game and keeps the opposition on their toes."

Woosha on Walla 👇

— Essendon FC (@essendonfc) August 10, 2020

McDonald-Tipungwuti, a barometer for the Bombers, has booted 10 goals from nine games this season, averaging just nine disposals.

“What we‘re really working towards is having a forward line that really understands their roles and works well together. We haven’t had a lot of continuity with the guys playing alongside each other,” he said.

“We’ve had to use ‘Walla’ in a couple of different roles throughout the year to help out as we’ve blooded a couple of younger players. But overall he’s in good shape and at some point maybe he’ll end up with a bigger haul of goals.

“But as long as the Essendon footy club ends up with a good tally, we‘ll be happy.”