“Fans are getting tired of it,” nice In an effort to end their protracted mediocrity, bombers are urged to “raise the bar.”

Essendon’s players have been asked by dual premiership Kangaroo David King to “demand more of each other” this season in an effort to reverse a prolonged period of mediocrity that the club’s ardent supporters have grown “sick of.”

In their first season under coach Brad Scott, the Bombers last year showed promise, especially early in the season, but finally gave up late to finish 11th on the ladder.

With the exception of the 2016 season, when it got the wooden spoon following the CAS doping sanctions, Essendon has placed between 15th and seventh on the ladder for the previous 20 years. It hasn’t won a final since 2004.

“I believe the supporters are tired of us being a mediocre team,” King stated on Fox Footy’s First Crack on Monday. “That (Essendon’s ladder positions over previous seasons) highlights it better than any other graph you’ll see. The talent has always read better than the results.”

Ahead of the 2024 season, King stated that the Bombers’ “big worry” was that they would still be “a nice footy club.”

“Dyson Heppell should have been fired last year, but they continue. They’ll now attempt to provide Dyson with a role, either as a wingman or half-back, and he expressed his opinion that this won’t really help them express themselves and move the ball.

Does Jake Stringer truly win games against teams in the top eight, or does he only defeat teams in the bottom ten? There are some difficult decisions for them to make.

“Andrew McGrath, good player; is he playing back pocket in pick one? You must hold each other to a higher standard. They must make more requests.

“I believe the bar needs to be raised. You should want more if you’re an Essendon supporter or player. Aside from Sam Draper, who actually plays with any anger to alter the course of games? I simply fail to see it.

“They need to take action to end their meandering existence of just being an average football team. They’ve been a nice football club for far too long.”

Not a single one of King, Leigh Montagna, or Anthony Hudson predicted Scott’s team to reach the finals this year, despite Essendon’s impressive start to their 2023 campaign.

First Crack was told by Saints champion Montagna, “I need to see it before I can trust them.”

“I’m looking at the leaders, so (Jayden) Laverde, (Kyle) Langford, McGrath, (Mason) Redman, (Darcy) Parish, (Jordan) Ridley – all their leaders who have been there for a number of years now – are they going to stand up and be a ruthless footy club? And when the chips are down, find a way to work themselves out of it and get the best out of this group?”

Montagna said the Bombers are “so hard to assess” on the eve of the AFL season.

“They were 8-5 at Round 13 (last year) and had some really good traits – and then they were just poor, like really poor, at the end of the year in every facet of the game,” Montagna said. “They couldn’t score, they couldn’t move the ball, they couldn’t defend, they couldn’t lock it in their front half. They went 3-7 (in their last 10 games) – and two of those wins were North Melbourne by nine points and West Coast by one point.”

The Bombers were one of the most active teams during last year’s AFL exchange period, picking up free agents Ben McKay, Jade Gresham and Todd Goldstein while also trading in Xavier Duursma from Port Adelaide. There’s also ample excitement around their top-10 draftee Nate Caddy – a powerful mid-sized forward who’ll be in their Round 1 mix.

“I think they get some stability behind the ball for the first time in a long time,” King said.

“Zach Reid doing a full pre-season and Ben McKay – they’re two monsters, big bodies. Reid can seriously kick the footy, so he doesn’t slow you down on the way out. I think he’s just one they need to stay healthy.

“I like the use of Nic Martin, across half-back playing that Nick Daicos role. He’s free-wheeling, a damaging player … What they’re allowing him to do will impact the scoreboard. They’re going to take a few risks defensively to accommodate this – and this is a team issue – but I think this move will have a massive impact. They get him and Redman now – there’s a difference to having one and having two.”

Montagna said the Bombers needed another big season from All-Australian Darcy Parish, which would help release skipper Zach Merrett in a more versatile role.

“For me, (the midfield) has to be built around Darcy Parish. I think he’s their No. 1 man in the midfield,” Montagna said.