Essendon coach John Worsfold is railing against his critics, saying the AFL’s supplements saga sanctions would have broken lesser clubs.
Worsfold, in the last year of his five-year coaching contract, is copping increasing heat ahead of Saturday night’s Dreamtime game against Richmond in Darwin.
The Bombers enter the fixture in 11th spot with just one win from their past six games.
Essendon have played two losing finals in Worsfold’s tenure, which followed player suspensions, draft sanctions and heavy fines for the club’s 2012 supplements controversy.
“The first two years (I was) at the club was about … keeping the club alive really,” Worsfold told reporters on Friday.
“It was under a lot of pressure. We had a lot of players we had to support through pretty drastic times.
“The last two years, I think we have made some great inroads, we played finals.
“To do that within such a short period of time of being smashed with big fines and draft picks gone, I think that has beaten most other clubs that have ever been hit with such penalties.
“So I would say the Essendon Football Club has achieved really well.
“This is the third year post a lot of the dramas that we had to work through.
“And it’s the first year of a new game plan coached by (assistants) Ben Rutten and Blake Caracella.”
Rutten will take over as head coach next season, with Worsfold lamenting that he hasn’t been able to field his best team this season due to a spate of injuries.
“We haven’t been able to put what we would say is our best 22 out on the field … our best 22 would be outperforming where we currently are, I have no doubt about that,” he said.
Worsfold made seven changes for the clash against the Tigers, including recalling Jake Stringer from an ankle injury, summoning Devon Smith and Tom Bellchambers, and giving an AFL debut to forward Irving Mosquito.
The outs include axed pair Shaun McKernan and Jacob Townsend while Conor McKenna is sidelined by injury.
Reigning premiers Richmond named Bachar Houli for his first game since round five while dropping Nathan Broad.