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<\/p>\nDean Solomon\u2019s Bombers remain under the microscope, as glaring defensive vision and how they \u201cdumbed down\u201d one of their stars were laid bare on Wednesday night. <\/p>\n
Plus, more of the biggest talking points ahead of Round 17, as well as the commentators for every Fox Footy game, in Foxfooty.com.au\u2019s ultimate weekly preview: The Blowtorch!<\/p>\n
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Watch every match of every round of the AFL Premiership Season LIVE and ad-break free during play on FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.<\/a><\/p>\n \u2018DUMBED HIM DOWN\u2019: HOW STAR BOMBER BECAME \u2018NOTHING PLAYER\u2019… AND GLARING VISION THAT SUMS UP DONS<\/p>\n As Dean Solomon weighs up whether he wants to throw his hat in the ring for the permanent coaching job, the conversation has turned to what he needs to do to prove himself. <\/p>\n Because little has changed in the way of method and outcome since he assumed the reins following Brad Scott\u2019s dismissal, with Essendon winless in four dour, Solomon-led interim games. <\/p>\n The Bombers are still incredibly easy to play against. They\u2019re easy to move the ball on – conceding the most marks per game to the opposition – and they\u2019re easy to be scored on, ranking second-last for points against. <\/p>\n But will the difference between winning and losing affect Solomon\u2019s candidacy, as the spectre of James Hird looms large over Tullamarine?<\/p>\n \u201cI do believe that they need to win \u2026 and I think from Solly\u2019s perspective, if he\u2019s going to throw his hat in the ring, you want to see some improvement; you want to see some direction,\u201d former Hawthorn sharpshooter Ben Dixon told First Crack Preview on Wednesday night. <\/p>\n Tsatas facing the axe from Essendon? | 06:58<\/p>\n Probed on whether Solomon should be fixated on trying to win to boost his chances, Champion Data expert Daniel Hoyne pointed to what\u2019s going on over at Alberton. <\/p>\n \u201cI love the Port Adelaide profile at the moment – playing really good footy, sustainable footy, but not winning,\u201d Hoyne told First Crack Preview.<\/p>\n \u201cFor me, it\u2019s more (about) how they\u2019re actually playing – that\u2019s what I\u2019m interested in. <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think the wins are going to come off the back of that anyway. If I\u2019m an Essendon supporter, I want Pick 1 in the draft this year who\u2019s going to make us a better footy club.\u201d<\/p>\n The Power are losing most weeks, but looking promising doing it, as they sit in the top five of the draft order. <\/p>\n The Bombers, on the other hand, are losing and looking uninspiring doing it. And it\u2019s not just an inability to defend the opposition\u2019s uncontested game. Their forward-half work is suffering in a big way. <\/p>\n Between Rounds 12-16, the Dons rank 18th for time in forward half, 17th for forward-half intercepts, 17th for forward-half pressure, and 18th for scoring. <\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re easy to play against,\u201d dual flag-winner David King said on First Crack Preview. <\/p>\n \u201cEven if you\u2019re an average team down on talent, you can still \u2026 lock the ball in your forward half, you can still create pressure, you can still have a buy-in. <\/p>\n \u201cWe haven\u2019t seen that. That\u2019s what\u2019s got me questioning are they absolutely revved up and ready to go in this area of the ground. <\/p>\n \u201cThe first place you fall over with your pressure game is your small forwards. They don\u2019t roll up, then your half-forwards are asking too much.\u201d<\/p>\n King singled out the poor defensive tracking of Isaac Kako on multiple occasions in the loss to North Melbourne last Sunday. <\/p>\n \u201cThese are standards that you need to adhere to, or you need to drive home in your meetings if you\u2019re really intent on winning,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n Dixon added: \u201cThose gaps are laziness, and those gaps may be intentional. And if they\u2019re intentional, we\u2019re actually not trying to turn over this football.\u201d<\/p>\n Watch the full First Crack Preview breakdown of Essendon\u2019s defensive issues in the video player below.<\/p>\n Kako’s lack of pressure exposed | 02:22<\/p>\n \u201cYou think \u2018OK, what are they trying to do?\u2019 Because I don\u2019t think that this would be the system and the plan that Solly would go with next year if he were given the main role. <\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no way they\u2019d be playing like this, in this method or in this mode, because it is just too easy.\u201d<\/p>\n The other part of the Essendon discussion that King delved into revolves around Zach Merrett\u2019s positional move to half-back. <\/p>\n The Bombers have clearly begun to go away from Merrett at centre bounces, with Solomon keen to give others looks in the guts. The ex-captain attended just one ball-up against the Roos. <\/p>\n But his move behind the ball hasn\u2019t paid dividends, with the left-footer dropping significantly for ball-winning impact. <\/p>\n Between Opening Round and Round 12, Merrett ranked 48th in the AFL for ball-winning. He\u2019s ranked 120th from Round 13 to Round 16. <\/p>\n In the same time span, Merrett, in the ball use \u2018damage\u2019 rating, has dropped from 36th to 277th. <\/p>\n \u201cThis guy has become a bit of a nothing player, since he\u2019s been moved out of the midfield to half-back,\u201d King assessed. <\/p>\n \u201cEven if he\u2019s a half-back, he can\u2019t be rated 277th with his ball use. He has to be a damaging player down there, or that\u2019s not working for both parties. <\/p>\n \u201cSo it\u2019s either another position, or put him back where he\u2019s strong, get one of your guns going, and give yourself a chance to win games.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoyne rounded off the Essendon discussion by explaining his \u201cnumber one issue\u201d pertaining to the Bombers. <\/p>\n \u201cThe number one issue is how they\u2019re actually playing,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n \u201cOver the last three, four, five months, no one\u2019s going more lateral, away from goal, than what Essendon is going. <\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t mind the Merrett move to half-back, but I didn\u2019t mind if it was going to represent something like a Dayne Zorko, who\u2019s going to pull the trigger and be aggressive. <\/p>\n \u201cBailey Dale, Jack Sinclair, Nick Blakey \u2026 (who) actually create and open the game up. But he\u2019s not doing that; Essendon\u2019s not doing that behind the footy. <\/p>\n \u201cAnd if he\u2019s not doing that, then he\u2019s wasted behind there.\u201d<\/p>\n King added: \u201c(They) put him back there for damage, and they\u2019ve dumbed him down.\u201d<\/p>\n Can Port get a fair trade for Butters? | 03:07<\/p>\n PORT\u2019S BIG CALL ON BUTTERS TRADE WARS AS FRESH OPTION EMERGES<\/p>\n Gerard Whateley \u201ccouldn\u2019t be more admiring\u201d of Zak Butters\u2019 incredible form this season in the face of ongoing speculation around the superstar free agent\u2019s future.<\/p>\n And Port Adelaide faces a big decision on how the club manages getting the best possible package for Butters, should he exercise his restricted free agency rights and make the Power to match to force a trade, which they intend to. <\/p>\n