Essendon will be looking to its backline for help in kicking a winning score against Sydney at Etihad Stadium on Friday night.

The Bombers defensive group have had a stellar start to the season only conceding more than 100 points on one occasion, against Fremantle in Round 4.

“They have done a good job, the last two weeks we have been stopping scores but we are probably not helping generate enough scores,” Assistant coach Matthew Egan said.

“We are defending pretty well, helping each other and not too many players have got a hold of us.”

“We need to help with scoring a bit more so we are working a lot on our attack at the moment.”

Egan said a key focus throughout the week had been on getting the defenders to create attack from the defensive half of the ground.

“I think Hibbo and Demps do it naturally anyway it is the other guys we want doing it,” Egan said.

“I think what you have seen the last two weeks is Fletcher and Hurley joining in a lot more and we need to see that.”

“We don’t want them being safe with the ball, they need to attack the game because they are both long, penetrating and beautiful kicks so we want the ball in their hand just as much as Hibberd and Dempsey.”

Essendon’s defenders face the toughest challenge in football this week coming up against a star studded Swans forward line.

Egan said his group was prepared for the task ahead with the onus placed upon the whole team to defend the ball well.

“I think what happens up the field is really going to help us, if they get really clean delivery and no pressure on the ball they are going to be able to score,” he said.

“We are relying on pressure, forcing high balls and giving our defenders a chance.”

“We are also going to have to read cues really well, obviously they go long to Tippett and Franklin a lot so we are going to have to help each other.”