This time last year, the Bombers sat 2-6, having just lost to Carlton and the football world declared they’d blown their shot at finals, despite having brought in Devon Smith, Adam Saad and Jake Stringer in the trade period.

This year, Essendon is 3-5, having just lost to the 18th placed Swans and Kane Cornes is done believing in the Bombers until they can prove they’re not a “tease”.

“Let’s take a long at the Bombers as a whole. Forget last night, they had a go last night. I thought they were reasonable,” Cornes told SEN’s Crunch Time.

“But they’re playing the 18th team on the ladder. A team that’s won one of their last seven at the SCG.

“They start 2-6 last year, they’re now 3-5.

“They’ve got two All-Australian key backs, they have Joe Daniher, I know he wasn’t there last night, but just talking generally, you’ve got two All-Australian midfielders, you’ve got top five draft picks, you bring in Devon Smith, Adam Saad, Dylan Shiel and Jake Stringer and you cannot get that done last night against the 18th side when it means so much to you.

“They’re an absolute tease of a football club. They are a middle-of-the-road, ordinary football team.

“Let’s stop getting seduced by what we think Essendon are going to give us because they fail every time. They haven’t won a final in 15 years, they’ve been an ordinary team for a number of years.

“It has to be some coaching because if you look through their list, they don’t want for anything.”

Essendon hosts Fremantle at Marvel Stadium next weekend in a chance to bounce back.