MAKING the finals would be a reward for Essendon players after two traumatic seasons, according to coach Mark Thompson.
The Bombers are on the cusp of tasting September action after an important three-point win over West Coast on Saturday, which elevated them to seventh position on the ladder.
Last year the club was kicked out of the finals as part of the AFL's penalty for the supplements saga having qualified with enough wins, and Thompson said making the top-eight this year had extra importance.
"I think it would be great for their spiritual selves. They've had a tough year, they had it taken away from them last year when they qualified, [and] we're all OK with that," he said.
"It's nice to go through something really tough and get some reward. And clearly there's a lot of people who have put a lot of time and effort into being an Essendon footballer.
"They have to get something back the other way."
Essendon has not won a final since 2004, with its two attempts since then, in 2009 and 2011, disastrous elimination final defeats.
Getting some more experience this year is part of a process the club needs to go through, said Thompson.
"[In] football, you get a lifestyle, you get some money, you get to do something you love. But you also play to play finals, to play preliminary finals, to play Grand Finals, and win premierships," he said.
"And this is the first step hopefully. If we can get in there, which we desperately want to do, that's that first box ticked.
"Then we've got to win a final, then maybe win two and then hopefully this just sets them up for years to come."
The Bombers' hopes would have dived with a loss to the Eagles, who led by 34 points early in the third term. But Essendon kicked five goals in a row before the final break and then kept the visitors goalless in the final quarter to secure the victory.
Conceding that a handful of players were in doubt for the clash, including ruckman Paddy Ryder, Thompson had to sell belief at quarter-time after a first half where the Eagles dominated play.
"The positives definitely outweighed the negatives. To come back from that position and to play the footy and to get the result was fantastic," he said.
"But to be in the position in the first place is not so good. And it's another week of contrasting styles."
A turning point was the move of Jason Winderlich to the forward line and Dyson Heppell to half-back after the main break. Winderlich kicked three goals and Heppell had 38 touches (28 came after half-time), both among the most influential players in the win.
Heppell, who Thompson has labelled a future captain of Essendon, continues to impress in just his fourth AFL season.
"I just loved his attitude as a man, because he plays the same every week. Even in the most severe pressure he came out and took the team with him today," he said.
