Senior Coach Brad Scott addressed the media ahead of Essendon’s important matchup against the Swans at Marvel Stadium on Saturday.

The key talking points from Scott as the Dons look to improve to 4-3 against an in-form Sydney outfit:

Scott on… current form

“We played some really good footy early (against North Melbourne).

“We clearly had some adversity through the game, but all in all, I was pleased with the elements of our game that we've been training that came through within the game.

“Coaches are pretty harsh judges. I mean, I think we're progressing, we're making some improvements in some areas, but we've got a lot of work to do.

“We've had some good periods of games and some reasonable gains, but you know - I put Sydney in this category - when we play the really good teams, there's a gap between where they are and where we are at the moment.

“We’ve just got to bridge that as quickly as we can. It’s a really tight (competition), so we've got to fight for every little edge we can get.”

Scott on… supporting injured players

“It’s a great thing about footy clubs.

“I mean, the hard thing is you face adversity, injuries, the AFL rollercoaster, but you're in an environment where it's incredibly supportive.

“It’s great to see Nick Bryan back in the fold today, he's a really popular member of our group, Harry Jones back and ‘Drapes’ obviously working through his situation as well.”

Scott on… Lewis Hayes and Jye Caldwell

“We think every week, we've had multiple players that are ready and capable of playing AFL footy.

“We'll have to shuffle our team a little bit but I'm very, very satisfied that we'll be able to put a good unit together of 23 players this week.

“(Caldwell’s) an important player for us. He's one of those type of guys that is clearly a really capable player, but he's a heart and soul type player.

“He brings more to us than just kicks, marks, handballs, tackles, contested possessions, etc. He brings a fair bit of heart and soul to our team, so it's always good to have him back.

“(Hayes) has been in our emergencies pretty much every week, so we think he's ready. He's been ready for a month.”

Scott on… Sydney

“I think that teams go through ebbs and flows at different stages but what is pretty constant with Sydney is that they've got absolute stars of the competition in their lineup.

“Gulden, Mills and couple of stars are missing, but Heeney and Warner are as influential as any midfielders in the competition at the moment. Some of their their, I suppose, off-Broadway-type players are very, very capable, and don't get the recognition in Melbourne that they deserve.

“Certainly, at AFL clubs, we give them the recognition.”

Scott on… suggestions of Essendon involvement in the ongoing Willie Rioli investigation

“It’s not an Essendon issue. Our players have zero concerns.

“There are community expectations around player behaviour on and off the field, but within those expectations I still have a pretty firm belief of what happens on the field should stay on the field, provided that it’s within general community expectations.

“Our players feel that whatever was said or done on the field against Port Adelaide should stay on the field, we’re not interested in engaging beyond this.”