Essendon captain Jobe Watson has dismissed speculation of divisions between the playing group and coach Matthew Knights in the wake of Saturday night's humiliating loss to West Coast.
Primed to rebound after a week of intense scrutiny prompted by a five-game losing streak, the Bombers surrendered at home to the competition's bottom side - for whom Mark LeCras bagged a record 12 goals - by 32 points.
Addressing the media at a cold and windswept Windy Hill ahead of the club's Sunday morning recovery session, Watson reaffirmed the players' support for Knights.
"The players are playing for the coach, they're playing for the jumper," said Watson.
"At this stage, we're not good enough."
"We've got to lift our work rate and we've got to do it as a team and that's what we'll do."
Watson blamed basic skill errors for Saturday night's result.
He said they spread quickly through the team which was then unable to find its rhythm.
When the momentum turned against them, Watson said, the Bombers were simply unable to fight their way back into the contest.
He agreed the players need to take their share of the blame for the club's predicament.
"People look at the coach, and I don't think that's fair," he said.
"You'll ask any player from any club that's been under scrutiny and they'll say that the players have to wear a lot more of the responsibility than they do, and that's certainly the case."
"As a playing group we've got to be able to perform at a higher level of be more competitive."
Watson said he'd done his best over the past week to insulate himself from rumour, speculation and media reports hinting at divisions within the club.
Dealing with external pressure and scrutiny, he said, comes with the territory.
"As a group we're a bit bemused by where the reports have come from," he said.
"Although we didn't play well last night certainly we're a united group internally and I think you just have to be prepared to not listen to the people who really don't know."
Asked whether he was now at the lowest point in his short period in the captaincy, Watson said: "I don't know whether it's the lowest it's got but it's disappointing, it's frustrating."
"But you can't just sit on your hands and do nothing about it, you've just got to wear it through and try and get better."