Nate Caddy’s vigorous celebration after his sixth goal early in the fourth quarter at Marvel Stadium on Sunday belied the dead-rubber circumstances between two bottom-four also-rans.

The bleached-blond key forward, who extended his contract last month until the end of 2031, is one of Essendon’s rays of hope as they prepare for another fresh start. They will have a new coach within days, who may be their 11th in the hot seat (if it is not James Hird) since the legendary Kevin Sheedy era ended in 2007.

Caddy’s goal – his 46th in a promising individual campaign – kicked the Bombers 14 points clear at the five-minute mark, and within reach of a third win in an extremely difficult season.

But Essendon couldn’t hang on, even after ex-skipper Zach Merrett drew a huge roar out of the nearly 30,000 fans who turned up by steering through a set shot to snatch the lead with two minutes to go.

That advantage lasted fewer than 50 seconds, and the Bombers eventually lost to Port Adelaide by 10 points – but it was probably a good thing, since it means they retained the No.1 pick in November’s AFL draft.

Interim coach Dean Solomon insisted post-match that he felt things were shifting in the right direction.

“It’s really hard to say that because we finish 18th, and that’s the hard sell. But people know their footy, and they can see where we’re heading, and some of this youth,” Solomon said.

“As we get more experience into them, they’ll become more polished [and] more composed under pressure and deliver at a high level, so it’s quite exciting, but albeit very hard at the moment.”

North Melbourne beat Gold Coast in the final round three years ago, costing them access to Harley Reid.

There is no Reid-like prospect available this year, given Dougie Cochrane (Port Adelaide) and Cody Walker (Carlton) are attached elsewhere, but Essendon will have the pick of the rest of the litter. Those players include Arki Butler, Harry Van Hattum, Gus Teixeira and Ethan Drever.

This is the Bombers’ first wooden spoon since the infamous 2016 season when they had to cobble together a list after 34 past and present players were suspended as part of the drugs saga.

That patchwork group won one more match than their 2026 peers, illustrating how much the Bombers have battled.

Now, it is decision time: the coach first, then whether to trade Merrett and injury-riddled defender Jordan Ridley, as well as what to do with top-10 draftees Elijah Tsatas, Archie Perkins and Nik Cox.

Only Perkins played of that trio on Sunday, and he, too, gave Essendon a brief edge with a set-shot goal in the fourth quarter, but again looked uncertain with the Sherrin at times. Tsatas was an emergency, while Cox – playing again after a concussion battle – made more VFL appearances (10) than in the AFL (eight) this year.

There doesn’t appear to be much external interest in Darcy Parish, but he could be one to watch.

Damien Hardwick famously declared that 80 per cent of Gold Coast’s first premiership team was already on the Suns’ list when he took over as coach in 2023.

Three years later, Hardwick would struggle to be so bullish, particularly with Ben King poised to announce he wants to play for Hawthorn. But whatever figure Hardwick might come up with now would still dwarf what Essendon’s next coach could confidently predict.

Solomon could not, and would not, offer such a percentage for the Dons on Sunday.

Merrett, sporting a bruised right eye from a knock last week, won disposals at will in what was almost certainly his final game for the Bombers before he tries again to convince them to trade him to the Hawks.

Solomon wants Merrett to think about how Trent Cotchin stuck fat at Richmond and was rewarded with three premierships. But Cotchin was 27 when the Tigers’ won the 2017 flag, whereas Merrett turns 31 in October.

Asked if he could understand why Merrett might want to leave, Solomon said: “We don’t know his decision, so I don’t know the answer … he might turn around on Tuesday, Wednesday, and say, ‘I want to stay’, and we hope that’s the case.”

Merrett’s successor as captain, Andy McGrath, played his 200th game against the Power.

Sacked coach Brad Scott’s permanent replacement will be revealed early this coming week, between Hird, Mark McVeigh, Jaymie Graham and Murray Davis. Solomon ruled himself out. The Essendon board’s decision will say a lot about their willingness to let go of the past.

“I don’t think you can put your finger on any one thing [as to why the Bombers have struggled for so long]. I think it’s multiple things, multiple layers,” Solomon said.

“But I also haven’t been at the club, so I’d be guessing a fair bit. I’ve joined back at the club for 18 months, two years now at board and coaching level, and I can only speak to what I’ve seen. I am really impressed about what the future will look like, but there’s a lot of hard work still to be done.”