Essendon’s Scott Worried by ‘Selfishness’ as AFL Season Starts Poorly

March 22, 2026 Alex Carter - Sports Editor Sport

West Coast Eagles ended a 308-day losing streak with a stunning 17-point victory over North Melbourne at Optus Stadium on Sunday, overcoming a 30-point deficit in a game that highlighted the emergence of young talent. The win, 17.9 (111) to 15.4 (94), marked West Coast’s first triumph since Round 11, 2025.

The Eagles’ resurgence was fueled by strong performances from Elliot Yeo (19 disposals, two goals), Harley Reid (30 disposals), and Jamie Cripps (three goals). First-year players Willem Duursma, the No. 1 draft pick, and Cooper Duff-Tytler, selected fourth also made significant contributions, each kicking two goals. Duursma also executed a spectacular pack mark in the final quarter.

Meanwhile, Essendon coach Brad Scott is facing increasing pressure after his team suffered a 63-point defeat against Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval, their second heavy loss to start the 2026 season. The Power dominated the match, ultimately winning by a margin that extended to 80 points in the final quarter. Essendon’s losing streak now stands at 15 games, the second-longest in the club’s history, surpassed only by a 17-game skid during the 2016 doping suspension crisis.

Scott expressed concern over a growing sense of “selfishness” within the playing group, stating that players appeared to be focusing on individual concerns rather than team performance when facing adversity. “We want to build a club and a culture that is based on team-first,” Scott said after the defeat. “We can’t have selfishness, players who think about themselves.”

Essendon recruit Brayden Fiorini publicly backed Scott, stating, “We stand by Scotty 100 per cent. I thought he prepared us really well this week. We had a really good gameplan going in, and it’s on us players that we didn’t execute.”

Port Adelaide’s victory was tempered by injuries to captain Connor Rozee, who suffered a serious hamstring injury in the third quarter, and Miles Bergman, who hurt his left ankle in the fourth. Rozee experienced nerve numbness in his left leg while lunging for a tackle, and his knee hyperextended, though initial assessments suggest no joint damage. Bergman’s injury occurred during a marking contest.

In a separate incident, Fremantle forward Patrick Voss has been charged with misconduct by the AFL for taunting Melbourne’s Harrison Petty. Voss mimicked crying after the quarter-time siren, a reference to a 2022 incident involving Petty and Lions captain Dayne Zorko. The AFL fined Voss $1500 for the action, deeming it unsportsmanlike and unacceptable.

Gold Coast forward Bailey Humphrey has been offered a two-game ban for rough conduct following a sling tackle on Richmond’s Maurice Rioli, while Giants’ skipper Toby Greene was fined for striking St Kilda’s Marcus Windhager.