ESSENDON coach John Worsfold has questioned his side's finals credentials after another late fadeout in an eight-point loss to the Brisbane Lions cost the team a win it should have locked away.

Essendon appeared to be coasting to an important, if uninspiring, victory when it led by 27 points early in the fourth term, only to see its grasp on the game slip away as the Lions kicked six of the last seven goals to claim victory.

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It was the Bombers' fourth loss in their last five games and came a week after they coughed up another lead in heartbreaking fashion to Sydney thanks to Gary Rohan's after-the-siren goal.

Worsfold could only "bang his head against the wall" after his team fell to six wins and eight losses and a game outside the top eight.

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"At the moment you would say the only thing that's keeping us in the mix is the fact that no team's grabbing it and running away with it," Worsfold said.

"I would much rather be saying that we're in the mix for the finals because of the good footy we're playing.

"And from today I can't say that. Previously I would've said that but we've got to work out how we bounce back from this."

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The Lions went in with a plan to limit the Bombers' running game and identified their ability to take uncontested marks across the ground as a key factor in the wins they have notched this season.

Worsfold said from the outset his team did not play the type of football he and the club expected of them.

"We didn't play very good footy and we've got to acknowledge that. It was disappointing," he said.

"Whether that was us coming here and thinking we need to play just reasonable footy would be good enough to win … that's not the case and we don't want to rely on that.

"We want to challenge ourselves to play our best footy every week and we fell away this week."

Worsfold said the Bombers needed to find consistency to be considered a legitimate finals threat.

"There were a couple of games where we've played pretty good footy. Not so much today, but certainly last week (against Sydney) and against GWS we thought our form was pretty good," Worsfold said.

"But we didn't win, so that's telling us that we're a pretty good side but we're not good enough to win the games we need to win."

Star midfielder Zach Merrett produced the quietest game of his season, picking up just 19 disposals and having minimal influence.

Worsfold allayed any fears that he was carrying an injury but acknowledged that Merrett did not have his best afternoon.

"He didn't indicate anything at half-time. We were having a look at the impact he was having and we were concerned about that," Worsfold said.

"But he was OK."

Essendon faces Collingwood at the MCG next Saturday in what shapes as a season-defining clash for both teams.