Matthew Lloyd’s Urgent Appeal to Bombers as ‘Flat’ Captain Zach Merrett Struggles with Form

Essendon legend Matthew Lloyd has urged his former club to stop experimenting with captain Zach Merrett’s positioning on the field.

Over the past month, the Dons have shifted their skipper between the wings and flanks as they attempt to make sense of their crowded midfield setup, which includes players like Will Setterfield, Darcy Parish, Sam Durham, Jye Caldwell, and Merrett himself.

Lloyd is of the opinion that Essendon’s star player has had “one of the toughest months of his career” and advocates for a return to his natural role in the midfield.

“I believe Merrett needs to return into the midfield. They’ve tried to cover other aspects of the game, but he has experienced one of the toughest months of his career,” Lloyd commented on Nine’s The Sunday Footy Show.

“Someone asked if he’s mentally checked out. No, he hasn’t done that, but I think he might just be feeling flat given the current situation.

“I understand they’re fielding a lot of young players and dealing with numerous injuries. He’s been tagged, moved to half-back, and started on the wing; but his strength lies in the midfield.”

“Get him back into that role. Sam Durham will return from suspension, so it’s time to reinstate Merrett.

“The most successful game they had last season was when they targeted Marcus Bontempelli and Tom Liberatore, featuring Durham, Caldwell, and Merrett all heavily involved—everyone else should adapt around that strategy.”

Lloyd, who captained Essendon in his playing days, clearly shares a strong rapport with Merrett.

This year, they met at a café in Melbourne, accompanied by Dyson Heppell, James Hird, and Jobe Watson, to offer guidance to the struggling skipper.

Essendon has faced a barrage of injuries this season, managing to field players under 194cm for 11 consecutive games.

They suffered a hefty defeat by 41 points to Fremantle on Thursday night at Optus Stadium.

Merrett managed to collect just 17 disposals, and against Carlton a fortnight ago, he recorded only 14 while being closely monitored by Alex Cincotta.

This season, his average of 27.4 disposals per game marks the lowest of his career (excluding shortened COVID seasons) since 2018. Additionally, his clearance and tackle numbers are approaching career lows, attributed to his positional changes.