Essendon's new coach will be tasked with picking up the pieces from the worst season in the club's long history after a calamitous campaign ended with a 10-point defeat to Port Adelaide.
Emerging forward Nate Caddy's career-best six-goal haul wasn't enough for the Bombers in their 16.9 (105) to 14.11 (95) defeat to the Power in Sunday's dead rubber at Marvel Stadium.
The Bombers also won only two games in the 1933 VFL campaign, though that was in a shorter 18-round home and away season.
Interim coach Dean Solomon will hand the reins to a new full-time appointment in the coming days, with Essendon looking to usher in a new era.
It could be one without former captain Zach Merrett, who tallied a game-high 32 disposals against Port amid speculation he could again attempt to force a trade after being denied the chance to join Hawthorn last year.
Caddy shone in attack but the Power had their own star at the other end as Mitch Georgiades kicked five goals.
Mitch Zadow and Jack Whitlock added two important goals each in the second half, while Jase Burgoyne (30 touches, two goals) and veteran Ollie Wines (27, one) were also key contributors in a tight game.
Port's stand-in captain Georgiades booted the opening goal of the match and the visitors kicked 22 points clear before half-time in a bright start.
Caddy notched his fourth major before the main break and added a fifth soon after the restart, which kicked the Bombers into action.
They added 4.1 to 1.2 in the third quarter, hitting the front when Angus Clarke (three goals) marked close to goal and converted in time-on.
Clarke added another to open the final term and Caddy brought home fans to their feet with his sixth.
Port came again, scoring freely from centre bounce as a last-quarter shootout unfolded, with the lead changing hands five times for the term.
Merrett looked to have kicked the matchwinner when he converted a free kick with less than two minutes left, before Georgiades hit back with a calm set shot and then helped set up the sealer for Whitlock.
Will Setterfield (32 touches) and Archie Roberts (27) were busy for Essendon, as was captain Andrew McGrath (25) in his 200th game.
Merrett almost the hero
It looked like Zach Merrett would be the hero for Essendon when the former captain kicked a goal to put the Bombers in front with two minutes remaining. Looking likely to depart the club at season's end, Merrett converted after a free kick and his teammates flooded to him. But Georgiades and Whitlock had other ideas as two late goals saw Port to victory.
Young Bomber's stunning finish
The Bombers were building in the third quarter and Isaac Kako delivered a stunning goal to give them a further lift. The forward had laid a tackle inside 50 before following up to pounce on a loose ball at ground level, before slickly stepping away from two Port defenders and drilling a brilliant finish from 40 metres out.
ESSENDONÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 2.5 Â Â 5.8 Â Â 9.9 Â Â 14.11 (95)
PORT ADELAIDEÂ Â Â Â 3.3 Â Â 8.6 Â Â 9.8 Â Â 16.9 (105)
Â
GOALS
Essendon: Caddy 6, Clarke 3, Wright 2, Perkins, Merrett, Kako
Port Adelaide: Georgiades 5, Zadow 2, Whitlock 2, Burgoyne 2, Wines, Sweet, Moraes, Bamert, Anastasopoulos
Â
BEST
Essendon: Caddy, Merrett, Clarke, Reid, Setterfield, McGrath
Port Adelaide: Burgoyne, Georgiades, Sweet, Wines, Bergman
Â
INJURIES
Essendon: Wright (knee)
Port Adelaide: Nil
Â
Crowd:Â 29,200 at Marvel Stadium
