Lloyd Slams Bombers for ‘Absolute Mess’ in Adelaide Clash: ‘It’s a Difficult Situation’

Essendon great Matthew Lloyd has criticized the “complete chaos” at his former club following their defeat to Adelaide.

Saturday afternoon’s match saw the Crows dominate, finishing with a convincing 161-100 victory over the Bombers.

The club’s ongoing defensive struggles were painfully obvious, and Lloyd believes addressing these issues will be a “challenging task” for Essendon.

“Their defensive game has been subpar for several years now,” he stated on Nine’s Sunday AFL Footy Show.

“There’s a lack of defensive structure and poor execution. It’s a complete mess… fixing it will be tough, as there are issues all over the place.”

Essendon previously allowed over 100 points in their season opener against Hawthorn, and their upcoming clash with Port Adelaide—fresh off a significant victory against Richmond—won’t make things any easier.

Lloyd continued to emphasise concerns regarding Ben McKay—the Bombers’ highest earner, raking in around $1 million—after another lacklustre performance.

“There are times he simply isn’t competitive,” he said. “When you’re under that kind of pressure, you need to rise to the occasion. He must improve.”

Lloyd also raised concerns regarding the club’s recruitment and retention strategies, noting the Bombers’ failure to convert their draft picks into quality players.

“It’s common for recruiters to miss a few selections, but can you really afford to miss on so many top 10 picks? They’ve missed three,” he said.

“Defensive issues stem from both personnel and structure, as well as recruitment and player development. It’s a comprehensive problem that affects the whole club.”