New coach Brad Scott has moved to mood AFL finals expectations round Essendon for subsequent 12 months, declaring it can take time to develop his younger taking part in group.
Scott has focused enchancment throughout the board in his first season on the helm and will not mimic brother Chris’ profitable technique at Geelong, as a substitute opting to construct his personal model and a flexible recreation plan.
That, the previous North Melbourne coach believes, would require persistence internally in addition to from a success-starved Bombers supporter base that has not tasted a finals victory in 18 years.
Essendon completed fifteenth final season underneath Ben Rutten after reaching an elimination last the earlier 12 months.
“I’ve been impressed with the capability on our list but the reality is, and the facts are, that they’re very young and they’re going to take time to develop,” Scott advised reporters on Wednesday.
“Therefore, the team is going to take a bit of time to get right.
“But we’re simply actually targeted on every day ensuring that we’re progressing and to this point, so good by way of pre-season.
“Everything that we’re coaching and drilling we’re seeing transfer through in training.
“That’s the pleasing half however by way of (finals) projections, we do not get too concerned in that. We’re simply making an attempt to be one of the best we will proper now.”
Scott is also in no rush to select a captain, with long-time skipper Dyson Heppell no certainty to continue in the role he inherited from Jobe Watson six seasons ago.
Heppell, 30, weighed up interest from Gold Coast before signing a one-year extension with the Bombers and has impressed his new coach over pre-season.
But Scott said it could take until the end of February for Essendon to settle on the make-up of next year’s leadership group.
“(Heppell) is in improbable bodily form and he is battled harm the final couple of years, however his begin to pre-season has been distinctive,” Scott mentioned.
“To me, as a coach, to have your captain and most senior participant come again and set the instance like that has simply been improbable.
“Zach Merrett, Andy McGrath and the others have fallen in as well and set a great example.”
Scott, who coached the Kangaroos from 2010 to 2019 earlier than taking over an administrative position at league headquarters, was appointed Essendon coach in late September after the membership’s failed bid to land Alastair Clarkson.
The 46-year-old admitted there was some “trepidation” about returning to teaching however has settled in effectively at Tullamarine.
“I really feel very comfortable back in the routine and that’s probably easy to say in December,” Scott mentioned.
“There’s still the cut and thrust of win-loss and the week to week cycle (of a season to come) but I’ve been pleasantly surprised about just how good I feel about it.”
