Essendon sits at 1-9 and faces Richmond in a Dreamtime clash, followed by a trip to Perth to play West Coast, with Lloyd stressing the need to win both to shape the club’s stance publicly and internally.

Sunday’s attendance at the Fremantle game was 25,100, one of the lowest crowds at the MCG since 1995 (excluding COVID years), underscoring growing fan frustration.

Lloyd blasted the team’s defensive effort and the lack of competitiveness from senior players, calling it a crisis due to insufficient effort.

Scott acknowledged the poor start against Fremantle and said the Bombers must get more from their senior players.

Former Bombers great Matthew Lloyd says the club is in a crisis as a crucial fortnight under coach Brad Scott looms.

The crowd figure, below 30,000 for only the second time since 1995 (excluding COVID years), highlights mounting fan dissatisfaction despite long-standing support.

He cited defensive lapses, a shortfall of senior-player impact, and overall poor performances as central to the crisis and fan disillusionment.

The broader takeaway is rising concern about the Bombers’ trajectory and leadership amid a season defined by struggles and growing scrutiny.

Lloyd reflects on his high-scoring career and warns that the current form undermines the club’s historical prestige and supporter confidence.

Essendon has won only once in almost a year, recording a club-record-equalling 17 losses, with the latest five-game skid averaging 41-point margins.

A near-win against Melbourne at Gather Round provided brief relief, but recent results have been decisively worse, including a 43-point loss to Fremantle after trailing by 52 at halftime.

Essendon were outplayed by Fremantle, trailing early after Fremantle opened with a quick goal, with Lloyd criticizing defensive lapses and the lack of senior players’ effort.