Zach Merrett says a leadership group demotion he initially saw as a setback was crucial in helping him arrive at the helm of the Bombers.
The new Essendon skipper said he his relationships with teammates were stronger than earlier in his career when he may have seemed inaccessible after entering the leadership group as a raw 20-year-old.
It comes as Essendon allayed fears of any serious setback to Jake Stringer, who was reportedly furious as he left the track on Tuesday night with an injury complaint.
Stringer moved around the gym at The Hangar on Wednesday morning but was absent from the track as the Bombers went through light drills ahead of their departure to the Gold Coast for Thursday’s scratch match.
Asked whether he would demand more professionalism from Stringer as his new captain, Merrett said a lack of preparation was not behind the forward’s continued injury woes.
“Jake, like every player, has his own program to an extent,” Merrett said.
“He’s a very unique player … him, De Goey, Petracca, these guys that are super explosive and powerful are unique, and at times I’m sure with that explosiveness he has injuries that will pop up.
“We just want him to get back to that explosiveness and impact on the scoreboard and forward of centre.”
Merrett said his initial disappointment at not being endorsed by his teammates to continue in the club’s leadership group in 2020 had given way to a recognition he had needed that season to improve as a teammate.
After he was promoted to Essendon’s leadership group in only his third season and led the club in two games during the same year, Merrett suggested he may have come to be viewed as out of touch by some of his teammates.
“Being in a leadership group at 20 – (players) get pulled apart in a lot of ways in meetings formally all the time, and guys probably didn’t want to say things around me,” he said.
“I think (2020) was unique in a number of ways – being in a hub, being out of the leadership group was a great opportunity.
“I spent three months with teammates I probably hadn’t spent time with before.”
Merrett said spending the season without the additional responsibilities had allowed him to show his teammates his true colours.
“For three months I was able to have coffees, informal chats, corridor chats … I was just able to sit by the pool on the Gold Coast and have chats about footy and life,” he said.
“That was a great opportunity to learn, and looking back now it was probably a great asset for me.
“I opened up a little more and gave those guys more of an into me, and in turn those guys opened up to me as well.”
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