In a post-match press conference, Dean Solomon said he was very grateful for the opportunity to act as Essendon’s senior coach and admitted it had been “a tough week” for players.
“The circumstances are… obviously I didn’t want it to be this way, but we’re here now, and I’m just going to embrace the opportunity,” he said.
“The other coaches and all staff have been amazing in their support… it’s not just me, it’s all of us pulling together and driving this club to the finish line with momentum.”
Solomon said it had been a whirlwind since Scott’s departure on Tuesday, and said the club would now be able to take a breath.
“Tomorrow we’ll review the game, and then try and find a bit of rhythm this week, and get into it,” he said.
“All coaches, all staff at this footy club, and the players have been amazing in their support and we’ll do this together.”
Solomon said it had been a tough week for the Bombers, but players had tried to rally over the last 48 hours and focus on the game.
The interim coach credited West Coast for their pressure and said the hometown heroes handled the windy conditions better. However, he noted the Bombers showed signs of promise during the second quarter.
“Our team defence is something we continue to work on, it’s been an issue for a period of time,” he said. “You would have heard Brad speak about it as well, so it’s an area we’re going to focus on for the remainder of the year.”
Solomon also spoke about Ben McKay’s stint as a forward, adding he’d like to see players “have a bit of flexibility” for the rest of the year around positions.
Solomon said he’d shut down most of his social media and wanted to remain fully focused on the job at hand, batting away questions on James Hird’s potential return as senior coach.
