ESSENDON midfielder Jobe Watson says appointing a coach from inside the club’s ranks has helped “fast-track” the Bombers’ development and was a major reason behind his team’s impressive start to 2008.

The Bombers are 2-1 after three rounds, with Matthew Knights’ take-them-on, attacking game plan a catalyst in helping the Bombers beat Carlton by 16 points in a shootout at the MCG on Saturday night.

“To be 2-1 at the start of the year, we’re reasonably happy but we know that we’ve got a long road ahead of us,” Watson said at Windy Hill on Monday.

While Knights’ appointment as Essendon coach late last year came as a shock to many in the football fraternity, Watson said appointing someone from within the club had been of enormous benefit to the club.

“I think it was a really smart move from the club to choose someone who already had a relationship with the players,” Watson said.

“And that’s something that’s really fast-tracked us along … we all had an understanding of the way he wanted us to play, and through the pre-season he’s been able to sort of build on that.

“But that ground work that we’d had, three years of guys coming in and playing under Matthew, has sort of fast-tracked us to be able to embrace the game style that he wanted.”

Essendon, coming off a 99-point hammering by Geelong a week earlier, backed its game plan against the Blues and came out on top.

Watson said Essendon’s round two loss to the Cats had been a “really good reality check” for his team and was something they would not quickly forget.

The loss, he believes, might not necessarily have been a key factor against Carlton, but it will help the Bombers down the track.

“I don’t know whether, sort of subconsciously, we got ahead of ourselves [against Geelong] but we came out and played against a side who was clearly better than us and who showed us how you actually play to win games of footy,” Watson said.

“It might not necessarily be last week that we turned it all around but in sort of three or four weeks’ time, that loss will I think sort of galvanise the group into showing us the way that we’re supposed to play and the way that you do play in games.”

This week the Bombers face another stern test in the Western Bulldogs, who are flying after three unbeaten rounds.

And Watson knows his team will need to be at its best against a side featuring midfield stars such as Adam Cooney, Ryan Griffen and Scott West.

“I haven’t seen much of them play this year but they’re obviously in terrific form,” he said.