Newly appointed Essendon Coach John Worsfold expects Cale Hooker to return to defence in 2016.

The Crichton Medal winner continued his All-Australian form through the early rounds of 2015.

But injuries to key players and a misfiring forward line saw Hooker moved to attack.

The change paid off with the 26 year old kicking 20 goals in the final ten games of the season.

According to Worsfold though, Hooker’s forays forward may be less frequent in 2016.

“I think Hooker’s still a better defender in the competition than he is a forward even though he performed very well up there,” Worsfold told AFL Trade Radio.

“The challenge is to get some really good support for Joe Daniher who is going to be the cornerstone of that forward line for a long period of time.

“So to get another couple of good, strong key forwards – marking type players – as well as some really talented smalls that can put pressure on but also hit the scoreboard.

“I think there is more work to be done in the forward half than there is in the back half at Essendon.”

The Bombers were ranked 15^th in attack last season, averaging ten goals a game.

“The thing we have to challenge ourselves with is to be a better scoring team,” Worsfold told 3AW.

“We don’t have a lot of guys that readily jump to mind when you say they’re going to kick bags of goals.

“So I really want to develop that.

“Guys in roles that know that they put pressure on in the forward line but they’ve also got to hit the scoreboard.

“Around Joe Daniher you’ve got something you can build something great around.

“We’ll be looking for guys that have got the talent to score and the other side of that is to move the ball quickly enough from the back half and through the midfield to get it in there and give them some space to work in.”