Why are the Bombers bombing so badly?

WHAT'S behind the Bombers' horror month - a series of sub-par performances that could see the one-time league leaders tumble out of the eight?

THE burning questions surrounding the Bombers' horror month - a series of sub-par performances that could see the one-time league leaders tumble out of the eight.

Matt Windley and Jon Anderson dissect the reasons for Essendon's fall from grace

HAMSTRUNG

LEADING sports medico Essendon Dr Peter Larkins believes the club has suffered 25 soft tissue injuries this season.

"And they've averaged just over two matches (out) each, so it's nearly 70 missed games," Larkins said.

"I don't know a club that has had as bad a year."

Michael Hurley (hamstring), Paddy Ryder (calf), David Zaharakis (quad), Kyle Reimers (hamstring) and Michael Hibberd (quad) all missed last week, while midfielder Brent Stanton also fell victim to the hamstring curse on Friday night.

So is it a case of bad luck, or poor management?

"Nobody has got the answer," Larkins said.

"I've got ideas, Essendon's got ideas, but they will thoroughly review what's happened this year, I can guarantee it."

WEAPON FIRING BLANKS

ASKED to describe Essendon's pre-season in one word, high performance manager Dean Robinson - "The Weapon" - didn't hesitate.

"Intense," Robinson told the Herald Sun in December.

Robinson, after helping Geelong to its 2007 flag, moved to the Bombers from the Gold Coast during the off-season and said in the same interview that his philosophy was a simple one.

"The least-fatigued side, at the end of the day and the end of the season, is going to win. Being fit and strong and having a body that can handle collisions is going to allow you to carry less fatigue and perform at a higher level.

"It's not fitness. Fitness is probably the same, or very similar, across the league if we were to VO2 max every side. It's the ability to recover and reduce fatigue and having a bigger body will do that in my opinion. That's why I believe Essendon wanted me to come here.

"You don't want them carrying non-functional weight. It's power-to-weight ratio that we're ultimately talking about."

Coach James Hird announced at the weekend that the club had launched a review of its soft tissue woes.

It has scaled back its mid-week training to help stem the flow of injuries.

THE FEAR FACTOR

GEELONG players felt some deja vu last Friday night when watching Essendon's senior assistant coach, Mark Thompson, deliver a stinging rebuke at quarter time. A former Cat, watching from the safety of his living room, said he still felt shudders when watching Thompson tear strips off under-performing Bombers.

"When 'Bomber' goes off there is nowhere to hide. He is a genuinely fearsome individual in those circumstances," he said.

For Thompson to take that step highlighted his anger at the lack of fight shown in a first quarter where they were outscored by 43 points.

We are used to seeing Thompson calmly standing by as Hird and his assistants speak to their relevant groups.

COULDN'T HIT THE SIDE OF A BARN

WHEN you are losing games your efficiency by foot will drop, but from fourth to 18th? That is alarming given the Bombers compete in an environment that includes some of the least competitive AFL teams.

Between rounds 9-18 they kicked at an extremely healthy 68.2 per cent, a figure that has dropped to 63 per cent in the past nine rounds.

So who are the culprits? Stanton's delivery has fallen from 73.2 per cent to 62.2 per cent and as the team's best midfield ball carrier, that hurts.

But he isn't on his own. Dustin Fletcher (84.5 per cent to 75.9 per cent) has found himself under siege in defence so his drop can be explained in part.

Others to have recorded worrying drop-offs include Ricky Dyson (67 per cent to 58.8 per cent) Ben Howlett (64.9 to 52.1) Angus Monfries (65.5 to 51.4) and Ryder, when fit, (70.4 to 58.3).

LACK OF EFFORT

HAWTHORN probably would have beaten anyone last Friday night, but even they were surprised at the lack of applied pressure from their opponents.

The Hawks were given unexpected space to set up with their precision kicking as Essendon's intensity, so evident in April-May, hit sub-standard levels.

Take their tackling as an example, a figure that sometimes rises when you lose given the other side has more of the ball. The Bombers ranked ninth from rounds 1-9 with 66.4 a game, which has fallen to 14th at 60.2 in rounds 10-18.

Champion Data pressure stats placed Essendon sixth in rounds 1-9, but they have dropped to 14th.

GUNS IN THE GUN

SEVERAL stars have suffered alarming dips in Champion Data's SuperCoach rankings points.

Stanton was averaging 130.1 points a game in rounds 1-9, but in the eight rounds since has averaged just 83.9. Stewart Crameri (100 down to 57.1), Dyson (81 to 56.6), Nathan Lovett-Murray (64.9 to 43.4), Monfries (78.5 to 59.7), Alwyn Davey (73.9 to 59.2) and Tom Bellchambers (89.5 to 76.4) are also well down.

NOT FANS OF THE COLD

ESSENDON hasn't had a winning record in June/July since 2008. But surely sitting at 8-1 at 140.2 per cent after nine rounds this was the year to shake off the mid-year blues.

Not quite.

The Bombers have lost five of their last eight, including games to St Kilda by 71 points (Round 15), Geelong by 67 points (R17) and Hawthorn by 94 points (R18).

There is some consolation in the fact that tomorrow is the start of a new month.

THE RUN HOME

ONCE considered genuine contenders for the top four, Essendon are now no certainty to make the finals.

Adelaide at AAMI Stadium this week is followed by white-hot North Melbourne, Carlton, Richmond and Collingwood.

If the Blues manage to knock off Sydney this week, it is possible that a rematch of last year's elimination final in Round21 could settle who gets eighth spot.

"They got in to $7 to win the flag when they were 8-1," TAB Sportsbet's Adam Hamilton said.

"They were out to $21 before the obliteration on Friday night and then we put them out to $51.

"They are now $1.75 to play finals, whereas they had got in to a $1.05."

The Bombers are $5 outsiders against the Crows ($1.16).

DOWN, DOWN, THEIR STATS ARE DOWN

Several of Essendon's key indicators have dropped markedly since Round 9

R1-9 R10-18

Effective Kicks No.1 (156 a game) No.14 (132)

Marks No.2 (101) No.7 (93)

Marks I50 No.2 (14) No.9 (12)

Inside 50s No.1 (58) No.6 (56)

Scores per I50 No.2 (53.6%) No.14 (46.3%)

Contested Poss Diff No.3 (+9) No.12 (-3)

Points For No.2 (111) No.11 (91)

Points Agst No.5 (79) No.15 (102)

FLAGGING FORTUNES

SuperCoach points by key players

Player 1-9 10-18 DIFF

Brent Stanton 130.1 83.9 -46.2

Stewart Crameri 100.0 57.1 -42.9

Ricky Dyson 81.0 56.6 -24.4

Nathan Lovett-Murray 64.9 43.4 -21.5

Angus Monfries 78.5 59.7 -18.8

Alwyn Davey 73.9 59.2 -14.7

Tom Bellchambers 89.5 76.4 -13.1

Note: Doesn't include Mark McVeigh, Tayte Pears or Michael Hibberd who have been in and out of the side.

Source: Champion Data