Essendon great Matthew Lloyd believes the current fleet of Bombers are “mentally soft” amid another slow start to the AFL season.
Since 2017, the Bombers have won just 17 from 36 matches early in the season, rendering their campaigns all but over before the half way point.
Speaking on Wide World of Sports’ Footy Classified, Lloyd said he believed his former club plays its best footy once pressure is off the team to make the finals, as they’re too far back to be a realistic chance.
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“I think that they’ve got to win games early,” he said.
“When Richmond got their act together in 2017, they went 5-0 early. When Melbourne got their act together, I think they were 5-0, you look at what Carlton’s doing, and Fremantle, the confidence is built early.
“Even St Kilda – they’ve hit a rut but they were 5-1 to start the season. That’s what you have to do.
“Then what happens is the Bombers win games late in the year, people get excited and then next year comes around and they’re back in that position.
“I think it’s mental softness amongst the group … it’s frustrating in a sense that the win came on the weekend because this is the run home later in the season where they come good.”
Kane Cornes was particularly scathing of Jake Stringer’s season, despite kicking two match-winning goals against the Swans last weekend.
He said he didn’t “have much respect” for players who don’t get the best out of themselves.
“I think if he’s completely honest with himself, how he’s prepared himself, the issues that he’s had physically … I assume in 10 years’ time he will have regrets with how he’s finished and his inability to maximize the talent that he’s got, which was on display on the weekend.
“We can laud him for the last-quarter heroics, and there’s no doubt if it wasn’t for him they would’ve lost but this is reflective of Essendon and it’s almost an indictment on the group that they’ve produced this performance late.”
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