Nic Martin didn't shy away from the disappointment of the Bombers' Round two loss to Adelaide.

Despite this, he believes there are still positive signs, ones that need work, but nonetheless proof of the body of work the group have committed to over preseason.

"It's extremely disappointing. Conceding 160 points isn't good enough," Martin admitted.

"But we kicked 100 points, so while our defence needs serious improvement, our offence showed positive signs."

The Bombers are now 0-2, a frustrating start to the season, but Martin believes there are encouraging developments, particularly with the club's younger players.

"It's not ideal, but the exposure for the young boys has been great. The emergence of guys like Kako and Tsatas is promising." He said.

"Our skipper Zach Merrett has kicked six goals in two weeks, he continues to lead by example."

"More boys need to follow him."

A standout moment from the match was Tom Edwards' AFL debut, where he kicked three goals and showed composure, a testament to his long journey to the AFL ranks.

"It's a great story. Coming over as an SSP (Supplementary Selection Period) player is a challenge, but he played well and made an impact," Martin said.

"To step onto the MCG for your first game and kick three goals is an incredible effort. His work rate and ability to hit the scoreboard were real positives for us."

"It’s exciting to see what he can bring moving forward." Martin said.

With a short turnaround before facing Port Adelaide on Thursday night, Martin is eager to move forward and make improvements.

"It’s probably ideal. We can quickly review this game, learn from it, and shift our focus to Port. We know we need to be better, but there are things to build on."

Essendon will be aiming to notch their first win of the 2025 season when they face Port Adelaide at Marvel.