'Embarrassing': Dons gesture to skipper grilled

Essendon has been criticised for chairing skipper Zach Merrett disconnected the crushed aft his 200th lucifer came successful an "embarrasing' 77-point flogging to Geelong.

Despite the contention being billed arsenic 1 of the matches of the round, Essendon was uncompetitive from the archetypal bounce arsenic the reigning premiers ran riot.

Following the match, Merrett was chaired disconnected by teammates Dyson Heppell and Jake Stringer portion his different teammates gave him a defender of honour.

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The motion did not beryllium good with Port Adelaide large Kane Cornes.

Zach Merrett was fixed a defender of honour from some Cats and Bombers players aft his 200th crippled (AFL Photos via Getty Images)

"Why bash we request a defender of honour successful presumption of the Bombers lining up for him?" helium said connected Nine's Sunday Footy Show.

"I would've conscionable got disconnected the crushed consecutive away. You've mislaid by 77 (points) and you've been embarrassed, the crippled was implicit halfway done the archetypal quarter.

"That's embarrassing for Zach Merrett."

Cornes declared a "pandemic" of send-offs had taken implicit the AFL, pointing to a akin motion made to Adelaide's Rory Sloane for his 250th crippled and Collingwood and Fremantle players giving seasoned umpire Brett Rosebury a defender of honour connected Saturday aft his 500th game.

"We're present lining up for umpires," helium said.

Cornes was not impressed to spot a defender of honour fixed to seasoned umpire Brett Rosebury (AFL Photos via Getty Images)

"It's a large effort Brett, you've been a terrific umpire, but we are lining up excessively often.

"Game No.250, what benignant of milestone is that? GWS lining up for Rory Sloane successful crippled 250? What is that?

"There is simply a defender of honour pandemic. Unless you're Dustin Martin and you discontinue and it is your past game, enactment up for a champion similar Scott Pendlebury."

Essendon large Matthew Lloyd, who had been encouraged by the Bombers' play of late, explained however Geelong's ownership of the mediate of the crushed led to its large win.

"You wanted to ain the corridor and it was truly aboriginal successful the crippled that you could spot it," helium told the Sunday Footy Show.

Essendon's finals hopes copped a monolithic stroke aft the 77-point nonaccomplishment to Geelong (AFL Photos via Getty Images)

"They (Geelong) were squeezing the crushed connected them and owning the corridor, and abruptly the panic acceptable successful with the Bombers.

"They conscionable didn't springiness it to them close from the archetypal bounce, and arsenic hard arsenic they (Essendon) tried, it conscionable got worse and they panicked.

"They were conscionable obliterated successful each mode past night."

Essendon dropped down to eighth connected the ladder aft the nonaccomplishment and faces the seventh-placed Western Bulldogs successful circular 19 successful a lucifer which volition beryllium pivotal for some clubs' finals hopes for 2023.

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