Essendon’s players were put through an old-school, mouthguards-in training session on Thursday as coach Ben Rutten demanded his men show a harder edge amid a searing review of their season.
The tackle bags were out at the Hangar and players put through full contact match simulation just two days before they go under the national spotlight in the Dreamtime game against Richmond.
Such a session is associated more with suburban clubs than the elite level. But with little selection pressure from below in the VFL, it is a sign of how desperate the Bombers are to spark the physicality that has been missing in the first nine rounds – most glaringly against Sydney last weekend.
Son of a gun Tex Wanganeen is in contention to return for the showpiece game in Indigenous round, but Jye Caldwell is in doubt with a shoulder injury and did not train. Jordan Ridley and Andy McGrath took part in the searching hitout.
In a week of soul-searching for the Bombers, who are languishing in 16th with a 2-7 record after making last year’s finals series, Rutten was damning in his assessment of his players, saying they had not been “unconditionally ruthless”.
He said skipper Dyson Heppell had been aware of Swans captain Luke Parker’s sledge on Dylan Shiel, in an apparent contradiction to the veteran’s comments on Fox Footy’s On the Couch program on Monday.
Essendon coach Ben Rutten is demanding a response from his players after the loss to Sydney.Credit:Getty
In defending Shiel, Rutten said Parker’s taunt was more an attack on the club than the high-priced midfielder.
“We haven’t played with the hard edge that we need to for consistently enough throughout the season and Sydney was a game that we were way off the level,” Rutten said. “It’s not about Dylan Shiel, it’s about all of us as a football club.
Mouthguards in: Dons turn to old school ways in search for harder edge
Source: Philippines Alive
