ESSENDON captain Jobe Watson wants his side to get back to playing bold football this weekend against Carlton as the Bombers cling to the hope of a finals appearance.

The Bombers' losing streak continued on Sunday with a 24-point defeat to North Melbourne, meaning James Hird's side has lost five of its past six games and slipped to eighth position on the ladder.

Despite a brilliant start to the year - Essendon won eight of its first nine games - the Bombers appear to have lost the spark that lifted them into top-four calculations. Against the Kangaroos, who were missing Daniel Wells and Leigh Adams who were injured in the first term, the Bombers were overrun.

Watson flagged the club's cautious ball movement as an area that needed addressing, and said it's time the Bombers starting taking the game on again.

"I think that we have been a little bit slower than what we were earlier in the year and we're probably not being as brave with the ball as we were," Watson said on Monday.

"We've got to get back to being able to defend the ground the way we want but also move the ball off the line when we want to as well. I think that's going to be the key for us."

With its substantial injury list in the second half of the season, Essendon has struggled to get any continuity into many of its players.

Watson thinks it, in part, has been a reason behind the drop-off in its rapid and precise ball movement, but urged his side to take more risks.

"It's hard to know whether it's in between your ears or whether it's actually a physical thing," he said.

"I think the players before the game were … feeling fresh but just when you're going through situations and you have to make a decision, perhaps we're being a little bit too conservative with that decision-making than what we were earlier in the year."

Getting experienced players back in the team might help in that regard. Brent Stanton appears a certainty to come back into the team to face the Blues after missing the past two weeks, ruckman Paddy Ryder should also play, while David Zaharakis is a chance to play his first game since round 10.

Watson said midfielder David Myers would likely miss another week with his calf complaint.

Callum Twomey is a reporter for the AFL website. Follow him on Twitter at @AFL_CalTwomey