Essendon Captain Dyson Heppell has praised the ‘attitude, effort and intensity’ of his teammates following the Bombers 70 point win over Port Adelaide.

The Dons produced one of their most impressive displays of the season, stunning the Power with a seven goal opening term.

The Bombers maintained their form booting their highest score of the season and moving into the top eight.

“I think it was our attitude, effort and intensity that we attacked that game with,” Heppell said when asked about what gave the side the edge early in the match.

“You can have all the game plan and structure in the world but unless you rock up with the right attitude and bring that real heat, then your game plan is useless.

“I thought we came with a really strong attitude.”

The Bombers entered the match with the seventh highest goals per game average across the competition.

The respectable return was all the more significant given the Dons had won the inside 50 count just once this season.

But against the Power, Essendon generated 67 inside 50s, well up from their average of 48, and the forwards cashed in with Cale Hooker (five goals), Joe Daniher (four goals) and Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti (four goals) causing the opposition headaches.

Heppell said the side’s ability to win the ball back in the defensive half and then transition forward was pleasing.

“When our ball movement comes together it’s quite potent,” he said.

“We were able to score quite freely tonight which was really exciting but it came off the back of a really strong defensive unit.

“That’s what we tried to focus on – starting with our defence, creating quality turnovers and then that allowed us to run the ball freely forward.”

In the last five weeks the Bombers have played five teams currently in the top eight for a return of three wins (Geelong, West Coast and Port Adelaide) and two losses (Richmond and GWS).

“It has been a great test the last five weeks but I think we’ve shown some really exciting signs,” Heppell said.

“It shows we can match it with the best in the competition.

“You get little inconsistencies here and there, team form fluctuates, but I thought tonight was a real four quarter, consistent performance.”

The Bombers are in sixth spot on the ladder heading into their mid-season bye next week.

“We’re building quite nicely – that’s 12 games of footy we’ve played together as a collective unit,” Heppell said.

“We’re going to continue to develop each week – it’s just about rocking up to training with the same mindset, keeping a really strong, hungry attitude to want to improve.

“We’re really believing in the system we’re putting in place so I really feel we’ve made some great gains, especially over this last five week period.

“That real belief and trust in the system is getting there, so it is going to be an exciting back end of the year I reckon.”