Don't believe the hype: Merrett laughs off flag talk
Zach Merrett has laughed off a suggestion Essendon are the most dangerous side in the AFL outside Richmond, suggesting the Bombers’ form won’t be much good if they miss the finals.
After a poor first two months of the season in which the Dons fell to 2-6 – including a loss to cellar-dwellers Carlton – coach John Worsfold’s side have rebounded to win eight of their last 10, keeping them in the hunt with four rounds to go.
However Essendon still face an uphill battle to qualify for September for a second successive season, with the club still one win and 18 per cent adrift of eighth-placed Geelong in a tightly packed middle section of the ladder.
That means Saturday’s clash with fellow finals contenders Hawthorn at the MCG is close to a must-win assignment.
Star midfielder Merrett, who is due to play his 100th game this week, said despite the Dons’ red-hot 10 weeks, they can't afford to take their eyes off the ball, let alone consider how much of a finals threat they could be.
“You’ve got to laugh a bit, because obviously we’re, I think, 11th at the moment. If we don’t make it, it’s not really worth anything. It’s obviously nice to hear a bit of good feedback outside the footy club,” Merrett said at Tullamarine on Wednesday.
“It’d be lovely to [be thinking about finals]. But we sort of can’t really afford to, we’ve just got to try win this week. It’s obviously not good to have your fate out of your hands, but ultimately we just control what we can control.
“Since the Geelong game [in round nine] we’ve had nothing to lose. In a way we’ve been playing elimination finals for 10 weeks now. So I guess every week we go in trying to improve, but knowing that we do need to win I guess every game to give ourselves the best chance of playing finals.”
So strong has Essendon’s form been that former Dons coach and club great James Hird said on his podcast that if the Bombers make the finals, they will win the premiership.
Merrett said that while it was good to have positive publicity, it was no more than that.
“It was nice obviously,” Merrett said.
“But obviously he’s just a fan and someone who observes footy these days, but it is nice he did say those words though.”
Essendon conceded the third most points of any side between rounds one and eight, but have allowed the third fewest since. Those stats back up Merrett’s assertion that Essendon’s turnaround has been built on defence.
“I think during that week after [round eight's loss to] Carlton obviously a lot of questions were raised, but as a playing group and as coaches we really highlighted our defence, and wanted to be the most ruthless defence in the competition.
“We realise that’s something that’s built over four or five years, not four or five weeks.”
Facing the Hawks means a date with Brownlow Medal favourite Tom Mitchell, who is averaging more than 36 disposals per game.
Merrett was full of praise for the Hawthorn ball magnet.
“He spends more time on the footy than most other players in the competition, and has a real ability to outnumber around the contest and spread hard. So he’s a super player and certainly the one to beat for the Brownlow this year,” Merrett said.
“I laugh when people say he has no influence on games. He’s a super player, he gets a lot of contested possessions, clearances, kicks goals. It amazes me he doesn’t get tagged week in, week out.”
Mitchell was kept to 29 disposals when the sides met earlier in the season after getting attention from Essendon skipper Dyson Heppell.
“When we played them earlier in the year they obviously beat us but I think Hepp played on him and kept him to a pretty low number of possessions,” Merrett said.
“It might be something we go to. [But] they have a lot of other good players like Isaac Smith and Jaeger O’Meara as well, so we can’t just focus on one player.”
While the Hawks and Bombers are traditional rivals, Merrett said the combative history between the clubs had not been mentioned this week by coach John Worsfold, with Merrett noting that Worsfold’s process-oriented methods had a calming influence on the Dons.