Essendon coach Matthew Knights has defended the output of his skipper Matthew Lloyd, whose decline in 2008 has appeared to match that of his team.

The Bombers are at their lowest ebb since the mid 1970s with just two wins from 10 matches and are facing a difficult task against a Hawthorn side coming off its first loss of the season this week.

And Lloyd, the greatest goalkicker in Essendon's history and the man who has won the Coleman Medal on three occasions, has managed just 24 goals in nine games this season.

In four of his nine games Lloyd has kicked fewer than two goals and his tally after Round 10 is a far cry from his golden years of 2000 and 2001 - when he kicked a century of goals in each season - with Lloyd having kicked 42 by this stage of the 2001 season and 45 in 2000 when the Bombers were unbeaten on their way to their most recent premiership.

But Knights said on Wednesday that Lloyd's output should no longer be measured in just goals alone - given his big job in leading an Essendon side going through a re-building period.

"He has had some decent games this year where he has kicked a six and a five and four and some other games where the output, goals-wise, hasn't been there," Knights said.

"But I keep talking to Matthew about being a captain in every sense and he has really helped Jay Neagle since he has come into the team and also when Scott Gumbleton (who will resume in the VFL this week following hamstring and knee injuries) comes into the team so I am not putting a lot of pressure on him."

"I just want him to enjoy his footy and keep leading the club and he is doing his utmost to do his best on match day and that is all I can ask of him."

The Bombers, who will again be without Neagle and prolific midfielder Jobe Watson due to injury this week, face a Hawthorn side that Knights is convinced will come out fired up after suffering its first loss of the season last week.

"You would think that would be enough stimulus for Hawthorn to come out and play strong footy," Knights said.

"So we would expect them to be on the top of their game but we are looking forward to it."

While the Bombers are struggling in 14th place, they are coming off a gallant five-point loss to another top-four side in Adelaide last week.

"We played decent footy without winning the game but the pleasing aspect out of the game was our younger players in that some of them took another step in the right direction," Knights said.