ESSENDON coach James Hird said the Bombers' come-from-behind win over Adelaide at AAMI Stadium on Friday night revealed the true character of the club.

The Bombers recorded their third consecutive victory and consolidated their position within the top eight with the 11-point win, which seemed highly unlikely after Hird’s side kicked just two first-half goals and trailed by as many as 37 points in the second quarter.

A six-goal final term and nine of the final 10 goals of the game saw Essendon record its first win at AAMI Stadium since the opening round of the 2007 season, and Hird said the mental toughness of his group explained the 48-point turnaround.

"I think the one thing that I think our guys at Essendon are getting slowly ... is the belief in themselves," Hird said after the match.

"Six goals is a big margin, [but] there was real belief tonight that no matter how far we were behind we would come back and make it a fight in the end."

Hird said the Bombers' gutsy wins against Richmond last week and now Adelaide proved that the club was heading in the right direction after a mid-season slump.

"The character of our place has probably been harshly judged over the last year or so, particularly when we lost five in a row," he said.

"The character of our leaders has been harshly judged. I think people just get sick of losing after a while."

One man who stood up under the spotlight for the Bombers was Angus Monfries, who collected a career-high 35 possessions along with a goal and six inside 50s.

The dashing South Australian was criticised during the week for staging for free kicks, but the 24-year-old showed he was not afraid to find the contested footy with a best-on-ground performance against Adelaide.

"[Tonight] is good reward for them ... to win in Adelaide (after being) six goals down at half-time, that's a pretty good sign that we've improved," Hird said.

After quelling Richmond spearhead Jack Riewoldt last week, utility Michael Hurley was moved into attack by Hird after the Bombers failed to kick a goal in the opening term.

The 21-year-old finished with eight marks and two goals, including a crucial score midway through the final term to spark Essendon’s late-game avalanche.

"It took a while for the move to work; it probably took until the second half," Hird said.

"But it gave us a bit of extra structure and someone to kick to in our forward line."

The Bombers now face the biggest test of their finals credentials over the next fortnight against traditional rivals Carlton and Collingwood.

The Bombers are certain to be buoyed by the return of skipper Jobe Watson from a hamstring injury for his first outing since round 14.

"We were on the verge of playing him this week," Hird said.

"There was a big debate at selection and big debate with Jobe on Wednesday when we told him he wasn't playing."

"He thought he was right to play."

Essendon will also have the luxury of an eight-day break to prepare for Blues before their Saturday night clash at the MCG.

Max covers news from AAMI Stadium for afl.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_MaxPhillips