Essendon coach James Hird has promised his players another tough and demanding pre-season on the track after they were physically exposed against Carlton on Sunday.
The Bombers were bullied by the Blues in the 62-point elimination final loss, which was reflected in the contested possession count of 167 to 138.
Hird put his players through the wringer over his first summer as senior coach and has warned his players to expect more of the same next pre-season.
Hird's men developed an alarming trend of dropping off in the second half over the past eight weeks.
""Physically our players are nowhere as mature or developed as the best teams in the competition,"" Hird said after the curtain came down on the Bombers' season.
""It wasn't just physically yesterday; there were a lot of reasons, but physically the ability to spread from the contest, Carlton beat us up in the contest and won the ball.
""I think coming into the game it was no secret that if we were going to win the game we at least had to match Carlton there and we just couldn't compete around the ball.
""Unless we do that this summer, we won't improve. The boys know they're in for another big summer, like every club is.""
The Bombers were bullied by the Blues in the 62-point elimination final loss, which was reflected in the contested possession count of 167 to 138.
Hird put his players through the wringer over his first summer as senior coach and has warned his players to expect more of the same next pre-season.
Hird's men developed an alarming trend of dropping off in the second half over the past eight weeks.
""Physically our players are nowhere as mature or developed as the best teams in the competition,"" Hird said after the curtain came down on the Bombers' season.
""It wasn't just physically yesterday; there were a lot of reasons, but physically the ability to spread from the contest, Carlton beat us up in the contest and won the ball.
""I think coming into the game it was no secret that if we were going to win the game we at least had to match Carlton there and we just couldn't compete around the ball.
""Unless we do that this summer, we won't improve. The boys know they're in for another big summer, like every club is.""
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Despite recording 11 wins, one draw and 10 losses - and playing finals - Hird stopped short of declaring the season a success.
However, he said the Bombers' marked improvement in rising from 14th on the ladder last year to eighth this season, was a step in the right direction.
""If you look in isolation at this game, you can be shattered and disappointed, but you look at the perspective of the whole year and I think we've made drastic improvements and we're only going to get better,"" he said.
""The one thing we've talked to our players about, we'll put the best people around them to give them the best opportunity to be as good as they can be.
""They have to work as hard as they can to allow us to help them, and I think they've done that.
""They were disappointing today but they've been terrific all year and they've absorbed the information, they've learned, they've trained hard, and I can only commend our players for the year they've had and the improvement they've made.""
The off-season focuses for Hird and his star-studded coaching panel will include improving the midfield and the team's ability to defend as a unit.
Hird said a number of young players had grown after spending more time in the middle but another quality midfielder is on the wish list for the November NAB AFL Draft.
He said the 12 players who ran out for their first final on Sunday would benefit from the exposure to the big stage, and would have learned to ""never ever want that to happen again"".
""I think every footballer who's played a lot of finals football have been in situations where they've been disappointed with a performance in a final,"" he said.
""You have to improve out of that.
""This game can really hurt you and it can do good things for you, and I think out of that hurt, you want to get better, so that's something we take out of the game, hopefully.""
As for himself, Hird said he had learned lot across his debut season, including how best to handle pressure and the group, while gaining an understanding of just how hard the role was.
""I played for 17 years and won two premierships so it takes a long time to get there, and as a coach, you have to be able to build good people around the club, good players, and it doesn't happen overnight,"" he said.
""We've made a small improvement this year and unless we continue to improve, we'll fluctuate and go down and up.
""I think as a coach I've learned you've got to continually improve the whole time.""
Hird said suspended assistant coach Dean Wallis, who was handed a 14-match ban by the AFL for betting on a match, would hold a ""significant"" but yet to be determined role over the summer despite being banned from working with the players during his sanction.
Despite recording 11 wins, one draw and 10 losses - and playing finals - Hird stopped short of declaring the season a success.
However, he said the Bombers' marked improvement in rising from 14th on the ladder last year to eighth this season, was a step in the right direction.
""If you look in isolation at this game, you can be shattered and disappointed, but you look at the perspective of the whole year and I think we've made drastic improvements and we're only going to get better,"" he said.
""The one thing we've talked to our players about, we'll put the best people around them to give them the best opportunity to be as good as they can be.
""They have to work as hard as they can to allow us to help them, and I think they've done that.
""They were disappointing today but they've been terrific all year and they've absorbed the information, they've learned, they've trained hard, and I can only commend our players for the year they've had and the improvement they've made.""
The off-season focuses for Hird and his star-studded coaching panel will include improving the midfield and the team's ability to defend as a unit.
Hird said a number of young players had grown after spending more time in the middle but another quality midfielder is on the wish list for the November NAB AFL Draft.
He said the 12 players who ran out for their first final on Sunday would benefit from the exposure to the big stage, and would have learned to ""never ever want that to happen again"".
""I think every footballer who's played a lot of finals football have been in situations where they've been disappointed with a performance in a final,"" he said.
""You have to improve out of that.
""This game can really hurt you and it can do good things for you, and I think out of that hurt, you want to get better, so that's something we take out of the game, hopefully.""
As for himself, Hird said he had learned lot across his debut season, including how best to handle pressure and the group, while gaining an understanding of just how hard the role was.
""I played for 17 years and won two premierships so it takes a long time to get there, and as a coach, you have to be able to build good people around the club, good players, and it doesn't happen overnight,"" he said.
""We've made a small improvement this year and unless we continue to improve, we'll fluctuate and go down and up.
""I think as a coach I've learned you've got to continually improve the whole time.""
Hird said suspended assistant coach Dean Wallis, who was handed a 14-match ban by the AFL for betting on a match, would hold a ""significant"" but yet to be determined role over the summer despite being banned from working with the players during his sanction.
