Essendon coach Matthew Knights believes the speed of ball movement now witnessed in the AFL is giving star forwards better chances to kick big bags of goals.

Bombers skipper Matthew Lloyd on Saturday joined in this season's goal glut by bagging eight majors and taking a contender for mark of the year in his side's 16-point win over Melbourne at the MCG.

Lloyd, 30, hit back at critics who felt he had played his best football by posting his best return since the opening round of 2006 as Essendon won 19.10 (124) to 17.6 (108) to keep their remote finals hopes alive.

Lloyd joined Hawthorn superstar Lance Franklin and Carlton ace Brendan Fevola in posting a major haul this season in more evidence the big-scoring forward is still the game's most dangerous player.

Franklin (85 goals) and Fevola (80) look set to become the first players to post centuries since St Kilda's Fraser Gehrig kicked 103 in 2004.

Knights said the speed at which sides could move the ball meant the best forwards were getting into one-on-one positions against opponents.

"Earlier in the year the talk around the football world was we're not going to see bags any more because of the ability of players to flood back," he said.

"But what you're seeing in the modern game is most teams are now really trying to move the ball on quickly to beat those numbers pushing back into space and what it's allowing is one-on-one isolation for some of our great forwards, whether it be Franklin or Fevola or Lloyd or (Brisbane's) Jonathan Brown.

"Those guys are really difficult match-ups one-on-one because they've got leap and strength and smarts."

Although Lloyd's tally of 51 is well off the pace, playing a dual role alternating between centre half-forward and full-forward has rejuvenated his career after many thought his days playing solely from the goalsquare were numbered.

Knights said switching between positions made Lloyd a difficult match-up, while the star himself felt harshly treated by critics earlier this year.

"I've helped the team up the ground and endurance-wise I'm not too bad, I've probably never been able to use it," said Lloyd, whose 880 career goals is now eighth on the all-time list after moving past Collingwood great Peter McKenna.

"My (turnaround in) form has coincided with the team's and when the team's going well it helps you as a forward."

The presence of Lloyd and half-forwards Angus Monfries, Andrew Lovett and Adam McPhee, who collected seven goals between them, meant Essendon were always able to steady whenever Melbourne closed.

The Demons put in one of their more spirited performances of a bleak season, and took the lead in the third term through Colin Sylvia's third goal.

But Essendon added the next four, including a Lloyd conversion after a sensational pack mark, in which he started behind five players.

"To see a bloke who's played (14) years of footy fly so high, it shows there's a little bit of ping left in his legs," Knights said.

Essendon's win was their sixth from the past seven games, however they must win their remaining four matches and hope results go their way to be any chance of reaching the finals.

Melbourne coach Dean Bailey said the Demons worked hard to get within reach of Essendon, but could not maintain their push.

"We got ourselves back in that situation, which was good, but that's when you've really got to tighten the screws even further and work even harder to ensure you can get a lead," he said.

"We almost got there, and then we fell behind and had to play catch-up for most of the day."

Essendon are likely to be without young gun Kyle Reimers for two games because of a hamstring strain.

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