Essendon champion Scott Lucas says the Bombers have shown they can match it with the competition’s best – now the challenge is to do it more consistently.

The Dons head into their mid-season bye on the back of their best win of the season against Port Adelaide last Saturday.

The 70-point victory rounded off a five-week stretch that has seen the Bombers defeat three sides in the mix for a top four spot.

“They’ll go in knowing their ‘good’ is very, very good,” Lucas said.

“It’s just that consistency, not only within games, but from week to week because there has been a couple of games they’d have been disappointed to drop.

“If they can get that consistency going, confidence is on the rise – it looks really positive for the second half of the year.”

Cale Hooker’s form was one of the biggest positives to stem from the win over the Power.

The key forward booted five goals and now has 23 goals for the season.

“He’s kicking two a game so he’s on track for a very good season as a key forward,” Lucas said.

“If you throw in the fact Joey [Daniher] is also on track for 60 plus goals – if you get 100 out of your two key forwards you’d be very pleased with that.

“It’s helping Joey because there are two options down there and when you throw in James Stewart as well, it’s hard to match up on and unpredictable with the entries going in.”

At the other end of the ground Michael Hartley held Charlie Dixon goalless.

Hartley has played on Jack Riewoldt, Jonathan Patton and Dixon in the last three weeks, but has had just two goals kicked on him in that time.

“His last month has been excellent,” Lucas said.

“Against Dixon on the weekend he was very good, he just didn’t give him any space.

“The job that he’s been able to do has allowed ‘Hurls’ [Michael Hurley] to come off his man a little bit more that he previously has been able to do.”

Almost all of the Dons goals against the Power stemmed from back half turnovers.

Lucas said the side showed significant improvement with their ball movement.

“Their ball movement was incredible on the weekend … particularly with Conor McKenna on the end of it – his run and carry was outstanding and his ball use was very good,” he said. 

“I think collectively at times the ball movement and the turnovers out of the backline had really hurt the team, but it was superb on the weekend.

“I think it will give the team a lot of confidence going into the season half of the year.”