Not everything went Essendon’s way in their loss to the Swans at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night, but Brad Scott took plenty of positives from the narrow loss.

“I’m really excited about what’s to come,” Scott said post-match.

“I’ve said that all year – mostly after wins – but that was a game where, while bitterly disappointed, the fact that we just kept fighting and playing our way was really pleasing.

“Sydney is just a bit better than us at the moment. They were a bit better on the night even though we absolutely dominated key parts of the game. If you look at the stats sheet and you’re +22 inside 50s and +23 contested possessions, you don’t lose too many games with that sort of foundation.”

The result, the Bombers’ fifth loss from their past six matches, could be costly as they fight for a finals spot in the congested mid-section of the ladder, but the coach is looking beyond the end-of-season action.

“We won’t sacrifice the short term for the long term,” Scott said. “So, while disappointed in the short term and those opportunities, we’re really focused on what we want to build.

“If that means we win enough games to compete in September, great.

“If it doesn’t, we just keep building.”