AFL captain’s day: Zach Merrett driving Brad Scott’s standards at the Bombers

Essendon captain Zach Merrett is driving higher standards at the Bombers, plus he thinks Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti’s return to the club could be a huge asset ‘if we can get him back fit’.

Essendon captain Zach Merrett says he is determined to help Brad Scott drive greater standards of professionalism as the first-year coach urged his young squad to seize their chance on an AFL list.

The Dons football review recommended the “need to drive higher standards” and greater levels of fitness, with most Essendon players on board with that message over summer.

Scott is believed to have told players in recent weeks that as much as a work-life balance was critical, they needed to keep focusing on professional standards and redouble their efforts to the Essendon cause.

He has told them he will leave no stone unturned to support them at a club that has dramatically boosted its development coaches in a year that will have plenty of growing pains.

New Essendon skipper Zach Merrett leads the team out for the first time. Picture: Michael Klein

Asked about that message, new captain Merrett said it was all part of the balance of growing up quickly in an AFL environment.

“I think it‘s off the back of Covid. And having a lot of younger guys, they probably don’t know what they don’t know yet,” Merrett said.

“It’s a lot different to being an Under-18 TAC Cup (Coates Talent League) player. It’s a great opportunity to educate them and do it right now. We have a lot more resources in development than in the past so hopefully that translates into guys being able to perform at their best and reach their potential as quickly as they can.

“Clarko (Alastair Clarkson) talked about it a few weeks ago at North Melbourne. It’s

just a small period of our life that we get to do this dream job of ours. That comes with some amazing perks but it’s a hard, ruthless game. I think he’s just reminding us that if you are five per cent or one per cent off you just don’t win in this game any more.

“We just want to give guys every opportunity to make the right decision and educate them, but ultimately it’s on the players to take that and run with it and make the most of themselves.”

Essendon takes on Hawthorn next week hoping to showcase a more balanced game plan mixing strong defence and quick-fire attack, with Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti a chance to make his return.

Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti and Zach Merrett at Essendon training at the Hanger, Tullamarine. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

He has barely missed a session after walking away from football last year and Merrett said his comeback was inspiring to fans and players alike.

“As AFL players you know the responsibility that comes with how much you can grow the game and inspire people. Walla is something in the top bracket of that,” he said.

“And to see the impact he has on all of our fans in particular but also footy fans is great.

“We went to Bendigo for community camp, and everyone just wanted a Tipungwuti photo, or just to say hello or have a high five.

“His ability to connect with all the fans whether Essendon or neutral is amazing. So having him back for that sense is awesome. For selfish reasons it’s super exciting. He is one of the few players when you are on the field where you can feel the rise of the crowd and you feel terms getting nervous around him. So if we can get him back fit and firing and playing it’s certainly going to be a massive asset for us.”

MOORE’S OMINOUS DE GOEY WARNING TO 2023 RIVALS

Jay Clark

New Collingwood captain Darcy Moore says superstar midfielder Jordan De Goey is having his best pre-season in a number of years after knocking back big money to move to St Kilda.

De Goey enjoyed a brilliant second half of the season last year and has been a standout across the summer for the Magpies along with second-year sensation Nick Daicos.

The impressive pair are set to spearhead the midfield brigade which has also netted Tom Mitchell from Hawthorn and welcomed back hard nut Taylor Adams from injury.

However, despite a busy trade period, the AFL captains expressed concerns over the Magpies’ ability to go one step further this year after making the preliminary final last year.

While 11 captains tipped the Magpies to make finals in 2023, none predicted them to make the Grand Final.

Jordan De Goey on the burst against Hawthorn in pre-season.

Moore lauded De Goey’s pre-season, saying he had benefited from a decision to stay at Collingwood and represented a “scary” proposition for rival teams.

“Jordan’s pre-season has been as good as I have seen him do for a number of years,” Moore said.

“He has been really consistent after the Christmas break.

“He hasn’t really missed a beat and I think we saw that in the pre-season games.

“He looks pretty settled in his role in the team and obviously having 12 months under ‘Fly’ (Craig McRae) last year to consolidate his role in the team and I think he is really benefiting from that stability.

“It is pretty exciting for us and pretty intimidating and scary for the rest of the competition, so hopefully it means he can really put a rich vein of form together in the early part of the season.”

Daicos has also shone and looks set to be tagged regularly in 2023 after copping some close attention in the practice match win over Hawthorn last weekend.

Darcy Moore at AFL Captain’s Day.

Daicos is set to play midfield and defence this season, swapping with champion ballwinner Scott Pendlebury.

Moore said the Magpies would attempt to work around the Daicos tag.

“It is pretty unique for a second-year player to get that amount of attention in a practice game, and I thought he handled it really well and Nick’s had another great pre-season, which is really exciting,” Moore said.

“Fortunately he is a really versatile player so he can play a few different roles for us, which is great.

“So, as a defence, if we can have the opposition forward lines worrying about us then we are doing something right, so that is something I’m sure we will be able to handle throughout the season.”

Merrett responds to legend’s criticism of lacklustre Dons

- Jon Ralph

Zach Merrett says Essendon is determined to play with the passion of past Bombers sides as he welcomed club legend Matthew Lloyd’s criticism of the current list.

Club legend Lloyd this week made clear it was time for the senior Essendon players to take control of the club after a dispiriting pre-season clash against St Kilda and admit they had not been strong enough on or off the field.

Merrett did not quibble with Lloyd’s right to call out the club or the contents of that spray.

“I’m actually quite close with Matt. He’s a passionate Essendon person, which we love and as players we respect his opinion. He’s been a champion of not only our club but the whole AFL. He knows what he’s talking about, for the most part. So yeah, he has his views. We’re certainly trying to establish a brand and trying to be consistent and trying to play with that passion that past Essendon teams have had. I have got full respect for Matthew so I have got no issues with him having a pot or having a shot at us.”

Zach Merrett says Matthew Lloyd’s criticism of Essendon was fair. Picture: Michael Klein.

Merrett has replaced Dyson Heppell as captain.

Merrett revealed he sought out Ross Lyon as a mentor as he attempts to strike the balance between his compassionate side and desperation to maximise his career.

Merrett’s mentors in his football journey include Chris Judd, Joel Selwood and former Bomber Brendon Goddard, but Lyon’s return to senior coaching has meant he is now the enemy.

But Merrett caught up with Lyon during his hiatus from coaching to probe tactical trends and ask about how he could improve his game.

It is part of the fastidious approach to the game that has seen Merrett rise to football’s elite, even as he admits he needs to soften the ruthless edge that at one stage saw him dropped from the Essendon leadership group.

“I have been a curious person across my whole career and probably annoyed a number of former players and other guys from other teams but all those guys have been extremely helpful. So the list is pretty long,” he told the Herald Sun.

“(Ross) is a good man. I have reached out to him a few times and he’s been amazing with his time and obviously sees the game extremely well and I am just very grateful.

Zach Merrett leads the Bombers out during pre-season. Picture: Michael Klein.

“Talking to Brendon Goddard who Ross coached, he only spoke glowingly about his ability to manage the list, manage people, manage the players. But it was also his ability to understand game plan Xs and Os and ability to manipulate certain things in games in great detail. So for me personally trying to grow my understanding to read all those things Ross is a great person to speak to.

“He was very open. He has the ability to call a spade a spade, but also he has the ability to understand the detail behind it and explain it.”

Goddard was famously forthright and demanding of his teammates and Merrett says he will embrace the challenge of showing compassion while also attempting to drive high performance in his first year as captain.

“Yeah, I‘ve had to evolve and learn along the way, I guess,” he said.

“For me, I just want to make the most of my career, make the most of my teammates’ career. So I’m not going to shy away from being honest with those boys in trying to establish what we are but I am not perfect and will never be perfect. I have to have a bit of compassion at times but also take a few pages out of ‘BJ’s’ book.”

Originally published as AFL captain’s day: Zach Merrett driving Brad Scott’s standards at the Bombers