Essendon’s Struggles Intensify as Wife of Zach Merrett Mocks Club on Social Media
The 2026 AFL season has been a nightmare for Essendon, with the club facing one of its most challenging starts in recent history. The situation has only worsened after a social media post from the wife of former captain Zach Merrett, who is currently on the verge of leaving the club.
Merrett’s attempts to secure a move to Hawthorn during the off-season were met with resistance from Essendon, leading to a highly publicized and contentious situation. Since then, the Bombers have struggled immensely, suffering a series of losses that have left fans and analysts questioning the team’s performance.
Footy analyst Kane Cornes has even criticized players, including Merrett, for what he describes as a lack of effort. The club has become a subject of ridicule, with fans creating memes about how long it has been since they last won a finals match. This trend shows no signs of stopping, as Essendon continues to face defeat after defeat.
Alexandra Merrett, Zach’s wife, recently drew attention to Essendon’s struggles when she left a game against the Bulldogs at halftime to head to a trendy Melbourne restaurant called Gimlet. She posted a TikTok video captioned, “When your husband’s team is losing by 50 points at half time so you go to gimlet instead.” The post sparked a wave of backlash from football greats like Matthew Richardson and Sam Docherty, who found the content inappropriate and potentially damaging to Merrett’s relationship with the club and fans.
Richardson commented, “It’s not something I would like out of my partner if I was in that situation.” Docherty added, “The fact of the matter is it’s just really not helping Zach’s relationship to mend with the fans and the club and the playing group.”
Fans also responded to the post, with some joking about the game and mocking Merrett for missing out on the second half. One fan wrote, “But that second half! You lowkey missed out girl, we finally won.” Another added, “Look what happens when you leave,” while a third said, “Go back GF! We’ve got some fight back in us.”
In another TikTok video, Alexandra showcased her game-day outfit, which included pants from UNIQLO, a jacket from Deering, and sunglasses from Le Specs. While the post itself was harmless, the comments were sharp and critical of the underperforming Bombers. Some questioned the purpose of dressing up if she was going to leave early, while others made light-hearted jabs at Merrett’s failed move to Hawthorn.
One comment even featured a doctored image of Alexandra wearing a Hawthorn guernsey, referencing her husband’s previous attempt to join the Hawks. Despite the criticism, Alexandra did not engage with the comments, except for one that asked her to collaborate with Essendon’s merchandise team to create something more appealing.
The Bombers’ struggles continued on Sunday night, as they suffered their 17th consecutive loss in a 34-point defeat against the Western Bulldogs. Essendon now faces Melbourne at Adelaide Oval on Saturday, continuing their difficult season.
This losing streak echoes past challenges, such as the 2016 supplements scandal, which led to player suspensions. The current run also includes a 13-game losing streak last season caused by injuries.
Coach Brad Scott acknowledged the difficulty of the situation, stating, “It’s just a fact that can’t be argued.” He emphasized the need for leadership to keep the team motivated despite the setbacks.
“It’s just one of those facts that you have to deal with, and it potentially can get demoralising, but that’s what we’re fighting against,” Scott said. “I’m faced with it as coach, our leaders are faced with it and people ask a lot of the time ‘What do you want from your leaders?’ Well, they need to keep the group galvanised, and they need to perform on-field.”
