Essendon great Matthew Lloyd laments team's 'bruise-free' showing against Geelong

Essendon great Matthew Lloyd has lamented his beloved club's "bruise-free" approach to its season-opener against Geelong, which resulted in a 66-point loss.

It was a shock result, after Essendon came into the contest as the bookmakers' favourites with Geelong having a number of senior personnel out.

However, the contest was virtually over after just one quarter when the Cats slammed home seven goals to two to begin the match.

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The performance left a sour taste in Lloyd's mouth and the former club captain said "I'd be embarrassed about (the showing) if I was a senior player at Essendon".

"Geelong were outstanding, but the Bombers were really, really poor," he told Nine's AFL Sunday Footy Show.

"I thought it was a bruise-free game of football. You don't like saying that about any side, but that's what the Bombers have to cop after yesterday.

"Contested possessions, they were smashed, clearances, they were smashed, yet they had more disposals.

"They got their game wrong yesterday. A lot of short, little passes where blokes were beefing up their disposals, but weren't really effective at all."

Lloyd was not the only one left at a complete loss with the performance, with Essendon coach Ben Rutten also stunned.

"It wasn't an indication of what we've been doing throughout the pre-season, how we've been training," he told reporters after the match.

"It's something that we probably didn't see coming. It's certainly not what we stand for as a footy club."

Lloyd added, "I hope Ben Rutten's strong during the week because that's just not good enough.

"They looked to play a 'nice' game of footy against a side that has been there all the time, in Geelong, and they just bullied them yesterday."