Bombers forward coach Dale Tapping is confident Essendon can rebound from its round one loss to the Cats and bring a more contested style of play to their clash with Brisbane.

Tapping spoke to RSN Breakfast ahead of tomorrow’s match with the Lions and said ultimately, it was the Bombers’ lack of hunger around the ball that allowed Geelong to control the play.

The Cats dominated contested possessions 151-109 which is something Tapping and the Bombers will look to improve on ahead of their round two match.

“A lot of things fell apart for us, particularly the first half. If you simplify it, it comes down to our contest and our competitiveness around the ball,” Tapping said.

“I think everything really went out from there so the key focus has been getting back to our contests and fundamentally, it’s about us getting back to that and that will facilitate some opportunities for us to score.”

Tapping insists that it's not just the midfield’s role to play contested football, but rather on all players to challenge their opponents across the ground.

“We’ve done a lot of work as a whole team, not just as a midfield group. It’s really everyone on the ground,” Tapping said.

“It’s at ground level, it’s in the air, it’s defensively, so the contest method really encapsulates a lot of moments in the game,” Tapping said.

Round two will be another opportunity for Essendon to compete against one of the best sides in the competition in Brisbane.

After spending the previous five years as Brisbane’s midfield coach, Tapping is using his experience at the Lions to hopefully give the Bombers an inside edge for Saturday's clash.

“We see all the better teams and everyone is working really hard with their contests and the methods around the ball because really, your game starts from the inside out and that’s where the opportunities come from,” Tapping said.

“Brisbane is another one of those teams so we have another opportunity again against another strong and mature team.

“After spending that past five years there, I’ve got a firsthand look of the development and the progression of the footy club and one thing that has been evident is Brisbane’s improvement, particularly the past three years around their contests.”

One player who will bring a contested style of play to the Bombers’ line-up is Jake Stringer, who returns from a groin injury.

Stringer was a vital part of Essendon’s team last year with the 27-year-old kicking 41 goals from 19 games. 

“We certainly know the presence that Jake can have and it will be great to have him back in,” Tapping said.

“Obviously, (he kicked) 40-plus goals last year and had a wonderful season so he gives us that star power through his experience and explosiveness and certainly adds to a different dynamic in our front half.

“Last week he just wasn’t quite right to play and I think we took the right approach in terms of getting another week into him on the track and he's had another good week, trained really well yesterday so we look forward to his influence on the game.”

The Bombers will look to claim their first win of the season when they take on the Lions at Marvel stadium tomorrow at 4:35pm.