ESSENDON has done everything but say it is rebuilding.

In action over the past two years the Bombers have told the world they are in rebuild mode, just without using the word.

They've changed nearly half the list – 20 players – in two off-seasons. They said no to Dan Houston, when they easily could have had him. They've beefed up their development and fundamentals program. They've protected their draft hand and last year took five players – behind only Richmond and St Kilda for the most investment in the 2024 crop. They steered Jake Stringer out the door.

They are pushing games into Zach Reid, Nick Bryan and Elijah Tsatas, and playing Zach Merrett in the forward line more to allow younger midfielders extra on-ball minutes.

Even the extending of coach Brad Scott's contract before the season started was a sign of a club aware this season would bring challenges and a stable coaching situation could alleviate some external noise.

Saturday's loss to Adelaide wasn't a reality check – it was simply the reality for the Bombers.

No check was needed, although it was jarring for Essendon supporters to see the Crows cruise to such an easy win and for the Bombers' skill level to be as fraught in comparison.

Essendon was the youngest team in the competition in round one and the second-youngest in round two (only Richmond was younger). In round one, they were the fourth-least experienced and, with the injuries to Kyle Langford and Jordan Ridley against Hawthorn, they dropped to the second-least experienced side of last week, with an average of 72 games per player (again, ahead of only the Tigers).

And they'll only get younger and less experienced. The Bombers' three emergencies for the clash against the Crows – Saad El-Hawli, Luamon Lual and Lewis Hayes – are all yet to debut. Already Essendon has had two debutants this year and by the end of the season, it could be up to six or seven. Archer Day-Wicks, a rookie pick last year, isn't far away. Their only option is youth.

The way Essendon lost will be most dispiriting. A defeat the previous week to Hawthorn showed more desperation and system, but across the first two weeks, the Bombers have on average given up 81 points a game from turnover (ranked last so far this year).

The sample size is small but to put it into perspective, the Giants in 2013 conceded 82 points a game from turnover, which Champion Data shows is the worst result for a full season.

The Bombers' backline is messy and without confidence, they have conceded 18 marks inside 50 a game and given up a score from 56 per cent of their inside-50 entries (both ranked 18th in the opening two rounds). The club has been plagued by defensive issues for the best part of its 21-year drought without a finals win and its back half needs leadership and direction.

The free agent focus at the end of 2023 in recruiting Ben McKay and Jade Gresham is the counter to the rebuild, but didn't cost the club picks and they had salary cap space to use. Xavier Duursma arrived in exchange for Brandon Zerk-Thatcher.

Lost draft years and traded picks have left a gap in mid-20s experience, and the current absence of Langford, Ridley and Darcy Parish (back) saw them missing key mature players in all areas of the ground against the Crows.

Adelaide is into its sixth year under coach Matthew Nicks and the hard lifting of an aggressive, not-so-subtle rebuild is starting to bear fruit.

From 2018-24, the Crows used 12 first-round picks, traded one to bring in Izak Rankine in 2022 (when they also had to match a bid on incoming father-son Max Michalanney in the first round) and another in 2021 to recruit Jordan Dawson.

The Bombers are taking the same approach to the draft and will be building around a nucleus of Jye Caldwell, Nic Martin, Sam Durham, Nate Caddy and Isaac Kako – all 24 and under.

Two first-round picks and two-second round picks set them up to be either in the Harley Reid conversation this year (with about eight other clubs) or simply take them to the draft (and again get younger).

Adelaide's cut-to-the-core rebuild came after making the 2017 Grand Final and top-six finishes in four of six seasons. Hawthorn's list-shaping decisions under Sam Mitchell came with the Hawks' three-peat flag success in the not-too-distant past. Richmond's recent draft focus has come with the embers of their golden flag run still burning.

Essendon doesn't have nearly the same capacity to lean on recent success to give it more time. But Saturday showed it is going to need it.