Essendon was left to lament poor execution in its loss to Melbourne.

The Bombers went down by 38 points in front of 44,040 fans at Etihad Stadium.

In the second quarter, Essendon generated 16 forward 50 entries for a return of two goals six.

“We thought we had our opportunities in the first half, they probably took theirs in the second half,” Essendon ruckman Tom Bellchambers said.

“Our skill execution let us down, in front of goal we missed a few easy shots.”

The game was Bellchambers’ first at AFL level since mid 2015.

He ended the game with 33 hit-outs, took seven marks, had four inside 50s and kicked a goal.

“It was pretty hot early, the first half I was running around like a bit of a headless chook but in the second half I settled the nerves a bit and started to remember what it was like to play footy,” he said.

“It was good to be out there and be back amongst the boys and just play football again, it has been a long journey.

“There was a few nerves but that’s not a bad thing, it shows how much it means.”

After two games in less than a week, the Bombers now have seven days to prepare for a trip west to play Fremantle.

“A lot of focus will be on our contested ball work in the middle of the ground,” Bellchambers said.

“In the second half I think we were down ten in clearances so we need to work on that … and get the ball forward to give the forwards a chance.”