Learning and looking ahead.

Despite running into a roadblock in the form of ladder leaders North Melbourne at Windy Hill on Sunday, Essendon are identifying areas for improvement in preparation for a big Dreamtime clash against the Tigers next week.

The undefeated Kangaroos proved too strong in the 51-point loss, showcasing the level the Bombers continue to strive for as they develop as a young group within the context of the competition.

For Assistant Coach Natasha Hardy, the link-up around the ground is a clear facet of the game the Dons want to focus on, especially as they lifted their contested work after the main break.

“It was a really tough one, especially to start,” Hardy told essendonfc.com.au’s The Last Word.

“(North) really got the jump on us a little bit, winning the really important stats like contested ball and the clearances. They had a lot of inside 50’s on us and outmarked us in the first quarter really well, put that scoreboard pressure on straight away.

“We went with the contest first (after half-time) and we started to even it up a bit there, we evened ourselves in the third quarter on contested ball and ended up winning (contested and ground ball) for the second half as well, so we were able to make a few adjustments.

“We just couldn’t get the connection and the ball movement we needed in that forward half area.”

A key contributor for the Dons on Sunday (and all season, for that matter) has been Maddi Gay, whose experience and poise still held the side up on many occasions, finishing with 30 disposals for a career-best tally.

Hardy praised Gay’s leadership, as well as the potential of the defensive group to bounce back from the weekend’s result.

“I feel like (Gay) can impact no matter what the team is doing,” Hardy said.

“It’s really important to have somebody like that as a leader in the backline. Collectively, the (backs) always work well as a group, so it’s great to just have ‘Mads’ down there as a cool head as well.”

Sunday’s crowd of 4,336 broke the record for an AFLW match at Windy Hill, highlighting the passion of the Bomber faithful at full voice.

As the Dons gear up for two critical clashes to close the home-and-away season, Hardy’s confident they’re well placed to produce competitive outings, beginning with their Dreamtime matchup against Richmond in Darwin.

“You could tell (from the cheering) it was a really big one today,” Hardy said.

“It was fantastic to see all the supporters get out and hang right until the very end, even though it was probably a tough one. We really appreciate the support and we can’t wait to be back here (at Windy Hill) already again next year.

“Tricky conditions (in Darwin) but we’re in really good stead. Playing at the Gold Coast only two weeks ago in the heat and sticky conditions, I feel like we’re going to be really well placed to go against Richmond and just take it straight to them.”