Answer for Dons hard to fathom

ESSENDON’S new been launched.

The problem for new coach Ben Rutten is his team started jammed in reverse.

For three quarters the Bombers went out blowing bubbles.

Melbourne rose into the top eight with a 10.8 (68) to 7.7 (49) win, and the Demons will stay there if Fremantle upsets the Western Bulldogs today.

But the key questions now centre on Essendon. Will we see Joe Daniher wear a Bombers jumper again? What about Adam Saad?

Do they all believe in the club’s direction?

The Round 18 clash was built up as outgoing coach John Worsfold’s sign-off, although in reality the Rutten reign had already begun.

The problems started at centre bounce. In the first half Max Gawn’s perfect palms led Melbourne to six out of seven centre clearances.

Jack Viney was at the feet of most of them and Jayden Hunt and Bayley Fritsch were on the end of goals from two of them.

The Sherrin would either go back to the middle for another Gawn special or stay in Melbourne’s forward line, and Michael Hurley wasn’t there to help.

Instead he and James Stewart switched ends in a move era has which was switched back before halftime.

Stewart clicked when he went forward and the Bombers finished with a flurry in the last quarter.

Dylan Shiel even brought the Bombers within seven points.

But Gawn’s spoil set up Hunt’s fourth goal and when Fritsch kicked his third the Demons were safe.

The Dees had piled on 6.3 (39) to 0.0 (0) across the second and third quarters and ultimately that was enough.

Some Bombers supporters have found their team harder to watch this year than in 2016, when they finished last after 34 players were wiped out from the supplements saga.

What will they be like to watch next year?

This season was meant to teach us their system and style and yet still nobody really knows.

Matthew Lloyd was stunned the Bombers didn’t use tagger Dylan Clarke on Dustin Martin last month and yesterday Christian Petracca was afforded similar freedom.

It was penetrating Petracca yesterday as he thumped a setshot goal from 55m and set up Hunt with a laser-like pass bursting through the midfield.

Petracca – who is built for September – plays with dare which is often devoid in the Bombers’ game style.