Essendon coach James Hird has urged his players to maintain belief in the direction they are heading despite a poor finish to the 2012 season.

The Bombers became the first team since Melbourne in 1971 to have an 8-1 record and miss the finals, losing ten of their last thirteen games.

Hird said it was important the group continued to do whatever it takes to get the club back to where it belongs.

“We are not going to die wondering, we are going to continue to train these boys better and harder than we ever have,” Hird said at last week’s Annual General Meeting.

“We made some mistakes last year, we went to hard with a young group and it cost us in the second half of the year.”

“We have learnt from those mistakes, we have put in a slightly different training program and I think we are better.”

The club has had a strong off-season so far which including the recruitment of former Saint Brendon Goddard, first round draft pick Joe Daniher and a relatively injury free pre-season.

The recruitment of Goddard during the opening day of the free agency period was a huge coup for the club and one that Hird believes set them on a new track.

“In the off-season we went about changing and making ourselves a better club,” he said.

“You saw in the free agency period the club went hard after one of the best player in the competition and the best player available in Brendon Goddard.”

“I think that is a big sign, that Brendon has the faith that once again this club is going to be a big club.”