‘Worst in 12 years’: Dons star’s grim claim after loss; verdict in on crucial umpire calls — Best of AFL 360

Essendon captain Zach Merrett has revealed where last Saturday’s damning loss to Adelaide sits in his time at the club since joining via the 2013 National Draft.

And additionally, umpiring great Ray ‘Razor’ Chamberlain breaks down the umpiring controversies at the MCG last Friday night between Footscray and Collingwood.

This is the best from AFL 360 on Tuesday night of Round 3!

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x’: BOMBERS SKIPPER OPENS UP ON BRUTAL LOSS

Essendon captain Zach Merrett has opened up on his club’s difficult loss to Adelaide last Saturday, recounting the hours and days that followed their match that leaves them reeling at 0-2.

“It’s unique; you walk off the ground, you feel disappointed individually, and then you think collectively as a team how you can get the boys back on track, given that we’ve got a five-day break,” Merrett said.

“You’ve got to move on pretty quickly and take the learnings and lessons as fast as possible … but you can’t physically do much in five days physically to correct what you want to improve on.

“(Theres’) a lot of messages, a lot of phone calls between players trying to make sure they’re feeling okay.

“Off the back of those types of losses, you just want answers — and Brad (Scott’s) been really good at giving those early in the week.”

The 29-year-old was exceptional in defeat, stuffing his stat line to an eye-watering level for 36 disposals, six centre clearances, four goals, two goal assists and 748 metres gained.

Beyond the critiquing of Scott’s coaching, Essendon’s defensive profile continues to come under the microscope. And having conceded 161 points to the Crows at the MCG, Merrett concedes the performance may have been their worst in a long, long time.

“That was the worst I think we’ve been in 11 or 12 years as a footy club … it wasn’t acceptable, it wasn’t good enough and we’ll need to respond a bit better,” continued the five-time Crichton Medallist.

“Sometimes, it can look like you’re not trying (and) not giving effort. There’s definitely effort and there’s ‘maximum effort’, but for us it felt like guys were just off; and then it snowballs into some really disastrous chains.

“I felt like we put our backs under immense pressure, and clearly they’re going to cop some feedback from some vision. But up the ground, we were clearly off and not good enough — and that cascades into some really poor goals against.

“To give up 25 goals… and I’m included in that defensive stuff as well, there were moments where I wasn’t good enough as well.”

Merrett is contracted until he end of 2027 after his contract extension of half a dozen years back in 2021, noting that plans “(probably) haven’t worked out” exactly how he thought they would since he put pen to paper.

DOG THAT HAD ‘EVERY RIGHT’ TAKEN AWAY IN CRUCIAL UMPIRING MOMENT

Amid Collingwood’s one-goal win over Footscray last Friday night’s thrilling clash, were a pair of umpiring decision deep in the final term that were adjudged differently.

Bailey Dale was pinged for ‘insufficient intent’ by an in-play umpire only 50 metres out from Collingwood’s goal, in a decision that proved crucial in the final result.

Speaking to AFL 360 on Tuesday night, former umpire Ray Chamberlain conceded the decision was incorrect, and should not have resulted in a Magpies free kick.

“This one’s really interesting; for me, this is a throw-in,” Chamberlain revealed.

“Bailey Dale has every right (to attack the ball), he’s barreling straight at the boundary line … and he bodylines the ball, simultaneous with the opposition arriving.

“You’ll note that the ball lands in the field of play before going out of bounds, and it doesn’t go over the boundary line with any excessive force.

“If Dale comes across and punches the ‘bejeepers’ (sic) out of it and just smashes it into the fence, then a free kick would be warranted.”

Chamberlain then goes on to explain a non-decision with a similar incident involving Nick Daicos only minutes later, as seen in the above video.