Two horror defeats to end the home-and-away season have marred Essendon's campaign in 2023.
Where to from here for the Bombers in 2024? Can they push toward to the top eight?
Letter Grade: C+
The Sporting News analyses Essendon's 2023 campaign.
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Did the Bombers over/under achieve in 2023?
Essendon's 2023 season was heading toward finals after brilliant round 17 win over Adelaide elevated the club to fifth on the ladder.
But the Bombers crashed and burned from that point, winning only two more matches for the season - just against lowly West Coast and North Melbourne.
And the campaign finishes on a horrible note with a 126-point thrashing at the hands of GWS, before Collingwood drilled them by 12 goals in the final round.
Winning four more games than 2022 (11 wins versus seven) says Essendon has improved in 2023, but the drop-off in performances in a huge concern.
We must remember Essendon made the finals under Ben Rutten in 2021.
All up, an underachieving season, considering they were fifth on the ladder with matches against West Coast and North Melbourne to come.
What worked?
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Kyle Langford became a permanent forward to stunning effect, kicking 51 goals with Peter Wright out injured for most of the season.
If the Bombers can place more goals around Langford, it will go a long way to helping them climb the ladder.
Zach Merrett proved to be an exceptional leader in the trenches, still maintaining his possession tallies but also leading from the front with one percenters and work rate.
What went wrong?
The Bombers were atrocious over their last seven games, winning only two, with three defeats over 70 points and 40-point loss to the Western Bulldogs.
Finals were there for the club to play for during this period and the decline in form is alarming.
How can a club with such a large gap between their best and worst be a flag challenger?
That's the riddle for Brad Scott.
Essendon best player
A 51-goal season from Kyle Langford gets him the gong in this category, just ahead of Zach Merrett and Mason Redman.
Langford appears to have made the transition from utility to gun forward, and it will be interesting to see if he can build on this form in 2024.
Having other fit talls such as Peter Wright and Harrison Jones would help also.
Who should Essendon target in AFL trade period?
Essendon are hunting a key back with it apparent they are unsure about the future and suitability of current full back Brandon Zerk-Thatcher.
Ben McKay has been mentioned as an option, while it appears St Kilda's Dougal Howard is also on the market.
With Darcy Parish set to re-sign, and the likes of Ben Hobbs, Archie Perkins and Elijah Tsatas coming through, the Bombers' midfield looks fairly set.
The forward line is a concern with Peter Wright, Harrison Jones and Jake Stringer spending a lot of the season injured.
Sam Weideman was dependable but is he the answer as a bona fide AFL forward option?
