Despite a strong three-quarter performance against the Gold Coast SUNS, Essendon couldn't hold on, with the Gold Coast proving too strong in the final term.

Senior Coach Brad Scott acknowledged the Bombers showed good signs, noting that while there are valuable lessons to be learned from the game, the outcome remains frustrating.

He said that many players would gain significant experience playing against one of the emerging sides of the competition, and that will ultimately help us for the rest of the season.

The rundown from Scott's presser:

Scott on ... The overall performance.

I thought we ran out of steam a bit in terms of the intensity we were bringing to the contest. In the last quarter, some of Gold Coast’s key players got going, and we were unable to stem the flow.

That said, for the majority of the game, it was a really strong contest. We managed to limit some of their better players and were pleased with our 55 inside 50s, it was a fairly consistent mix across the match, which gave us a good opportunity to impact the scoreboard.

However, early on, we missed some chances despite having inside 50 dominance. I think the scoreboard read 6.1 at one stage, they made the most of their opportunities and transitioned well off our mistakes, which was disappointing. It wasn’t a matter of being unaware; we just didn’t execute in those moments.

There will be some valuable lessons to take away from the game, but that doesn’t make it any less frustrating. It feels like there are players who will learn a lot from this experience.

More than anything, we want our players and our fans to get the reward for effort, because it was definitely there. But you still walk away disappointed.

Scott on ... the game flow.

We're certainly very aware that at times we’ve hung our forwards out to dry a little. It’s that old saying: don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. Sometimes it feels like we’re trying too hard to be perfect and avoid turning the ball over, even when we’re out facing goal. We want to give our forwards more opportunities, and that was clearly, and pleasingly, reflected in our last game.

Even though we had a bye last week, the previous match saw us go from 34 inside 50s to 55. That speaks to a clear improvement in our ability to go forward. And, lo and behold, Caddy looks dangerous, May looks dangerous, and Kako looks dangerous. That was a really pleasing development in our game.

It’s not as if we haven’t been trying to be more considered with our ball movement. It’s just that we’ve got players who don’t necessarily have that experience yet. They’re still learning how to gel and build that midfield-forward connection.

When you look at teams where players have played together for a long time, they almost instinctively know what the other is going to do. We’re not quite there yet, but we’re working towards it.

Scott on ... Last quarter fadeout.

I’m always really pleased with our running capability. 

But AFL footy isn’t just about running. It’s also about resilience, being able to absorb contact and hits, and that can weigh on young players.

So it’s certainly not a running issue for us; it’s a resilience issue, unfortunately, that only really comes with maturity.

Scott on ... The new players.

(On Archie May) I know everyone saw the three goals in the third quarter, but we’re seeing promising signs beyond that.

He’s a great competitor, has great size, and we really think he’s a bit of a find for us.

I also thought Blakiston was exceptional.

We drafted him as a ruckman, but he played as a key back and didn’t look out of place.

We probably throw the term "superstar" around a bit too loosely these days, but in the case of King and Walter, they fit that bill, and Blakiston held his own.

Yes, King and Walter had their moments, but Blakiston was terrific. 

That’s the silver lining in our current situation. While it’s an unfortunate spot to be in, we’ve got to keep finding ways to improve, whether it’s unearthing players like these or developing our cohesion.

That’s always a challenge, especially when these guys are coming from different competitions.

Scott on ... Caddy.

Key forwards take time. Unlike midfielders, who might lack a bit of strength early on but don’t usually give up much in terms of size, key forwards often need more time to develop. A midfielder like Flanders can come in and compete from day one, but it’s a different story for tall forwards.

That said, he’s (Caddy) such an incredible athlete.

Even from the coaches’ box, we enjoyed watching it, Caddy versus Andrew.

It was an unbelievable athletic duel. They didn’t go head-to-head all game, but when they did, it was a real highlight.

Scott on ... Selection.

Our focus is on picking the best available team to get the job done each weekend and it’s not a binary decision.

Fortunately for us, right now our best team includes a lot of young players.

So we’re not having to choose between developing youth and fielding a competitive side.

We’re simply picking the team we believe gives us the best chance to win and at the moment, that naturally includes a strong mix of emerging talent.