Brendon Goddard earned a coach's vote on Saturday for his game against Richmond.

You wouldn't have thought that was possible given the chorus of critics lining up to whack the Essendon skipper's performance and, more specifically, the way he expressed his feelings during the game.

Rightly criticised for giving away a 50m penalty to Ben Griffiths in the third quarter, it's worth noting he was also the third skipper – along with Kieren Jack and David Mundy  – who gave away a 50m penalty in round 17.

But Goddard's history of demonstrative responses makes him an easy target, even though he continues to work on his emotional reactions to events in games. 

Despite it not being Goddard's style to disguise his feedback, we continually expect him to do just that.

Yet messages delivered with urgency from the mouths of Greater Western Sydney defender Heath Shaw or key members of Hawthorn's leadership group during battle seem to pass without comment because their teams are winning.

The worst Goddard can be accused of is continuing to care in an extraordinary year that would have tested anyone.

He was thrown the captaincy in the worst of circumstances, accepted the responsibility without celebration and appears to have done his best to leave a legacy that carries beyond 2016 to whoever is the skipper next year.

Brendon Goddard leads the team onto the ground against Carlton in round 6.

Whether that is Jobe Watson, Dyson Heppell or Goddard wouldn't cause too many sleepless nights for the veteran.

But back to Saturday's game.

Goddard finished with 27 disposals (he is top 20 for disposals in 2016) and despite occasionally muffing a kick (his overall disposal efficiency is 77 per cent) ran himself ragged with sometimes unrewarded and defensive running.

In the final quarter, when the game was in the balance, he played 100 per cent game time, dropping behind the ball from the wing to disrupt Richmond's flow.

He came off just once in each of the first three quarters and did not leave the action from the eight-minute mark of the third quarter, returning to the ground with the Bombers 10 points down.

Along with James Kelly – the other Essendon player with more than 280 games experience – he did the on-ground coaching essential for a team with 13 players having played fewer than 50 games.

That takes concentration and involvement beyond getting a touch. 

Both Goddard and Kelly were directing teammates throughout the last quarter, positioning Martin Gleeson, matching up Matt Dea, ensuring Michael Hartley and Patrick Ambrose understood what was required, and meeting with the back six after each goal was kicked.

At the top clubs a minimum of eight players play such a role.

It was no surprise that when Kelly kicked a goal late in the last quarter Goddard was first to offer congratulations. They appear to be a team within the team.

Among the skippers only Taylor Walker (1721 minutes played), Shannon Hurn (1662), Nathan Jones (1643) and Callan Ward (1642) have played more minutes than Goddard (1637) so far this season and, apart from the gallant Jones, they have been in winning teams more often than not.

Goddard has been vital for the Bombers in 2016.

Goddard was also criticised for demonstrating his frustration at Jayden Laverde for not handballing to him in the last quarter.

A quiet word might be better but in the middle of the MCG there is little time for niceties, particularly considering the handball would have opened up play on the opposite side of the ground.

Instead the 20-year-old Laverde, playing just his 12th game, hesitated before going to a one-on-one that Richmond marked as the Tigers protected a 14-point lead.

It's not great being on the end of such bursts but players can emerge with greater self-awareness.

Immediately after the game Essendon coach John Worsfold did not seem too concerned.

"I like the fact that we're getting annoyed that we're getting close and we're not happy, so that is a good sign," Worsfold said. 

After watching behind the goals vision in review he would have been even happier seeing the efforts Goddard went to will the team over the line.

One win in 17 games would push most competitors to the edge of their sanity, but thankfully for the Bombers, Goddard has been resilient.

In six more games he can reflect on a year that threw plenty without knocking him over and the Bombers will be better for having had him as captain.