Essendon midfielder Brent Stanton said the players were enjoying the fresh ideas new coaches Mark Harvey and Mark Neeld had brought to the club over summer.
Improving consistency had been the focus, which he believed had already been helped by the addition of experienced players Adam Cooney, James Gwilt and Jonathan Giles.
He said the Bombers' style would remain largely unaffected by the return of James Hird as senior coach and the departure of Mark Thompson and Simon Goodwin.
"When Hirdy and Bomber came together four years ago they had the same philosophy, so that's why it was important to have Bomber as the interim coach – and [now] Hirdy's back in the fold.
"As a football club you have to evolve and that's something every club does, it's what the good sides do, opposition tries to work you out during the pre-season.
"You've got to change things up here and there, but it's still the same principles throughout your basics."
Stanton also said young forward Joe Daniher was already benefitting from the return of Matthew Lloyd as a specialist goal-kicking coach, and was embracing the club great's fresh ideas on how to handle specific opposition players.
Essendon’s players haven't allowed the possibility of being banned from the NAB Challenge to disrupt their pre-season preparation, midfielder Brent Stanton says.
Up to 20 current players are provisionally suspended after being issued infraction notices late last year, with the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal continuing to sit this week.
The Bombers will seek permission from the AFL Commission for their full list to be play in the NAB Challenge if the outcome from the tribunal is still unknown before their first game.
They are scheduled to play St Kilda on March 7 in Morwell.
Stanton said the situation had not had any bearing on pre-season training.
"It hasn't even been spoken about around the players and the footy club," Stanton told SEN on Wednesday morning.
"We're just here to concentrate on getting ourselves ready for playing and that's all we can do.
"It's out of our control, whether we play or not, and the coaches and all the players have been pushing really hard to get each other to a new level.
"We were obviously disappointed with the last game last year in the final [against North Melbourne] and that's probably what's driving us a little at the moment."
On Tuesday, Essendon CEO Xavier Campbell said the Bombers anticipated further discussions with the AFL this week about the matter.
In November, a precedent was set when Jobe Watson and Dustin Fletcher were permitted to play in the one-off International Rules Test against Ireland.
The tribunal hearing will continue on Thursday after the parties concluded their submissions on the "admissibility of certain evidence to be considered" on Tuesday.
