Essendon coach John Worsfold reviews his team’s 43-point loss to the Crows at Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
On their overall performance…
“(There were) areas of our game where we learnt that we’re not quite at their elite level yet.
“That’s always the bonus of playing the team that in Round 21 are premiership favourites and on top of the ladder. You’ll find out your shortfalls and where you need to keep on improving. That’s what we learnt tonight.”
On what Adelaide did right…
“Our ball use wasn’t as good as theirs… We messed up a few opportunities to get forward and score where we either had the ball smothered, missed a handball or fumbled.
“They were at a higher level than us in that regard, they took their opportunities and didn’t miss too many when they won the ball back. Some of our contest work, we were still second to the ball compared to them. They were more committed in the air as well, that’s something we can learn from.”
On the Bombers’ finals chances…
“We’re keen on playing well these next two games. Learning from today and showing that we want to take our game to the next level. Obviously, you can only improve so much in a week. But learning from that and showing that we’ve learnt from it is what we’ll all be looking for.“
On Andrew McGrath standing Eddie Betts…
“I thought it was a wonderful effort. A big challenge for him. We gave him that challenge and he was excited about it. What a great learning opportunity for a first-year player.
“He’s matched up on names like Cyril (Rioli), Robbie (Gray) and Eddie (Betts) now. He played on Eddie in the last quarter, last time we played Adelaide as well. So, he’s going well. Who does vote (for the NAB Rising Star)? I’ll put my plug in for sure."
On Joe Daniher’s goal celebration with Rory Atkins…
“Didn’t they grow up together? Are you allowed to have a bit of fun with your mates? They don’t get to play footy together in the backyard anymore, like maybe they did when they were young. They now do it on a different stage. They’re mates and if people have been offended by it, toughen up.”
