Essendon best and fairest winner Peter Wright has spoken on the difficult weeks that followed Ben Rutten's off-season sacking, however the Bombers have looked to move on from the club's cut-throat call.
Rutten was relieved of his duties a day after Essendon's 2022 home and away campaign concluded with a 66-point loss to Richmond, with the Victorian club finishing the year in 15th with seven wins from their 22 matches.
The Bombers won 17 of their 44 games under Rutten, who led the team to a finals berth in his first season at the helm in 2021.
But a disastrous 2022 campaign saw his spell as senior coach come to an end, with Essendon eventually appointing former North Melbourne coach Brad Scott as their new main man.
Speaking to News Corp, Wright, who booted 53 goals in 2022 to earn the Crichton Medal, said the playing group were deeply disappointed with how their season ended, but are understanding of the "brutal industry" that is the AFL.
“(His sacking) was obviously a tough few weeks for everyone involved with the footy club," Wright said.
“We felt like we weren't playing our best footy. We were working really hard through the week to play the way we wanted to play and we felt like we let ‘Truck' down at times in the year with how we went out there and didn't perform.
“So towards the back end of the year (it) was a bit stressful for a number of players and members of the coaching staff and it was a really disappointing end to the year.
“Footy is a pretty brutal industry and you have to move on pretty quickly, so I am enjoying having Brad on board.”
Like Rutten, Wright's first season at Tullamarine came in 2021, with the 203cm forward-ruck hybrid arriving from the Gold Coast Suns after struggling to find form with the Queensland club.
While his maiden year in the red sash hardly compares to his second, Wright has Rutten to thank for helping establish newfound confidence in his game during 2021.
“Truck' was huge for me, I have a lot of respect for the way he tried to coach me,” Wright said
“And I know I wouldn't be where I am without him giving me opportunity.
“There were a few key moments throughout my first year at club, where he backed me in and was really clear with direction on where he saw my footy going."
The platform Wright now finds himself on at Essendon may have been a pipedream during his toughest days with the Suns, with the star forward grateful for the opportunity the Bombers have given him since returning to Victoria.
The Bombers are tipped to open talks with the 26-year-old over a new deal that would see the Wright extend his expiring contract beyond 2023.
For Wright, there's nowhere else he'd rather be.
“Absolutely (I want to stay)," Wright said.
"I am very grateful for the club for the opportunity they have given me and excited for the future of the club."
Wright will be looking to emulate a similar vein of form from his best and fairest-winning 2022 season when Essendon begin their new era under Scott against arch-rivals Hawthorn in March.
While last year saw Wright boot over 20 goals more than his next-best season haul, the Calder Cannons product could reach new heights under Scott given the record the former Roos coach holds with key forwards.
The likes of Drew Petrie and Ben Brown flourished under Scott's watch, with the latter booting over 60 goals in three successive seasons while at Arden Street with the former Brisbane champion.
