Essendon coach Mark Thompson has lauded highly touted youngster Joe Daniher for his attack on the game, in what Thompson has described as the 20-year-old's best performance of his 12-game career.

Daniher appeared lively from the opening bounce during Saturday night's eight-point win over the Western Bulldogs, crashing the packs and plucking several marks inside 50.

Despite finishing with just the one goal, Daniher had two score assists and gathered 12 possessions and took five marks.

And while statistically the 2012 father-son selection has had better games, it was his effort and endeavor that pleased Thompson the most in the win over the Bulldogs.

"I thought that was the best game Joey has played by far," Thompson said after the game.

"I thought he attacked the ball, attacked the game. He got the ball in the air and the ground, tackled. He was fantastic."

The Bombers forward line structure has created plenty of debate over the first seven rounds of the season with Jake Carlisle moved into attack from defence.

In its past three losses, Essendon has struggled to find avenues to goal, failing to score more than nine goals in each of those defeats with the combination of Daniher and Carlisle producing just two goals between them.

Despite the low output, Thompson has persisted with the duo, and in particular Carlisle, who against the Bulldogs finished goalless with nine possessions and five marks.

"Carlisle was much better in his attitude and in his influence on the game," Thompson said.

"That's a real positive for us, both of those young boys."

For the third straight week in a row the Bombers were held goalless in a quarter, an area of concern for Thompson who admitted he didn't know how far away the side was from finding the right balance between attack and defence.

"I would love nothing more than to be a good attacking team and defensive team," he said.

"It seems in parts in some games we get one or the other. Tonight our attack was missing because we just couldn't get the ball and we went a little bit into ourselves and we didn't play as a good team."

Tom Bellchambers could help Thompson in his balancing act against the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba next week.

The coach confirmed the ruckman would need to perform well in the VFL on Sunday to earn senior selection, while Jason Winderlich could be fit to play the Lions after suffering a "minor knock" on the lateral side of his right knee during the win.

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