Dean Wallis was put under the pump earlier this week with a number of searching questions from Engine Room members. Make sure you ask the Essendon coaching panel what is on your mind in the ‘Ask the Coach’ section in the Engine Room. Register here for the free Engine Room trial period to see what all the fuss is about!

Assistant coach Dean Wallis answers your questions:

1. When we look fully switched on, we have great run through the lines but each game this season there appears to be a mental lapse as a team. Why do we stop running through the lines? (David Bashtannyk)
A. Unfortunately we play a game with an opposition and they tend to stop our run-ons by putting numbers behind the ball. This is omething we need to get better as a team to overcome that, but it is just the nature of our game.

2. I would like to know why we don’t man-up when the opposition is kicking in after a point has been scored against them or when they are on the attack. I feel it will make it more difficult for them to move the ball forward as quickly as they do. (Austin Eksteen)
A. Unfortunately our game revolves around turnovers to do with opposition pressure. Ideally we would like our players to be accountable for their direct opponent, but due to the nature of the game when we are attacking, players tend to run off and create. With one player making a mistake or a turnover unfortunately you get caught off side which results in unaccountability.

3. Matthew Lloyd is clearly at his best when he plays at full forward – this was clear last Saturday night. Will you now stop placing him up the ground where he looks a little lost? (Jess Hanks)
A. Matthew plays the position that he is best suited for our side. Some weeks when teams flood numbers back he tends to play further out. Matthew will play in the best position on any given day that is the best for the Essendon Football Club.

4. When will Damian Cupido and Mark McVeigh be playing again? (Michele Nave)
A. Damian was close to selection this week but the advice from the medical staff was to hold him back for one more week. Mark McVeigh re-injured his hamstring in Round 2 against St.Kilda. He should be back in the next two weeks.

5. Mark Mercuri showed a lot of spark up forward for us against West Coast. In our first two losses, we really struggled to find a few other options for goal other than Lloyd and Lucas (against St.Kilda) – keeping in mind Cupido is still to return. Will you persist with him up there or see him as an option in the backlines? (Coolio Caspersz)
A. Mercs being a very proud person and with playing his 200^th game last week I have no doubt he would have played well whether he played forward or back. On any given day Mercs could find himself forward or back depending on our team structure and opposition.

6. Is Jason Laycock ready for a senior debut? (James O’Donoghue)
A. Jason unfortunately missed a lot of pre-season. It was his first game back last week for Bendigo. He has to string a few good games together and get some fitness under his belt and he will push for selection.

7. Can Justin Murphy run at a full pace for a full 30 minutes in the middle of can he be used in spurts? (Aaron Sinnott)
A. If Murphy needs to play on-ball during courses of the quarter he does and will. He is generally a play maker on the outside setting up forward for us. Murphy has to get better in his own game at winning the ball, which he is fully aware of and he will work towards that in the future.