Andy McGrath has captained Essendon for one match but he’s already seeing how tough it has been for Zach Merrett to lead the struggling Dons

Hawthorn’s surge in the second quarter proved decisive; Sam Mitchell’s men repeatedly punished Essendon turnovers and tore through the Bombers’ defensive structure like a hot knife through butter.

McGrath said the match highlighted the inconsistencies that can come with an evolving roster.

“I think the way we defended our ground played a big role. [of it]he said.

“Obviously they were able to penetrate us tonight. Especially in the first quarter, we felt like we had them on their backs a little bit.”

“There will be inconsistencies with our young roster. We were able to move the ball pretty well and then we had some critical turnovers in very bad spots on the field and they were able to recover.”

Despite the result, McGrath was quick to praise Merrett’s impact.

“We always knew he was going to be one of our best players tonight,” McGrath said of the six-time best-and-fairest winner and former captain, who requested a trade to Hawthorn in the off-season.

“He’s a super player; he lives for these games.

“He’s a great teammate to have around.”

McGrath said he was proud of Merrett for continuing to lead by example.

Asked about the importance of Merrett’s presence at the club following the turmoil of the last 12 months, McGrath said the Bombers’ focus remains on performing together.

“I think we’re all red and black tonight,” he said.

Scott was full of praise for his former captain.

“Zach’s play was probably what everyone expected. I think [his situation] It affects everyone. Everyone who goes through a difficult time shows resilience.

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“Professional athletes have to be able to get up no matter what the conditions are. It takes a certain type of character to do that, and no one should be surprised by Zach’s performance tonight because we know him so well. He’s just built that way.”

McGrath tasted defeat in his first match as Essendon captain; He acknowledged that this responsibility carries extra responsibility.

“It’s a little different,” he said.

“You carry a little more weight and I think you lose a little more weight.

“You wish you could do more for your teammates, you just want to help and you want us to get better.”

Bombers will now turn their attention to rapid response.

“We’ll review it, we’ll think about it,” McGrath said.

“The next 48 hours are always tough after a defeat, but we will look at where we can improve and come back on Monday ready for next week.”

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On the other hand, Mitchell said he was pleased with the Hawks’ second performance of the season, especially after being eliminated by the Giants in the opening round.

He made special mention of arguably the night’s two best players, Dylan Moore and Connor Macdonald, who spent a week in the headlines for all the wrong reasons following news of their arrests in Arizona in November.

“I was really pleased with the kids. Obviously it’s been a complicated week for them on an individual basis,” Mitchell said.

“If we forget for a moment what actually happened, there are two young men on the front and back pages of the newspapers and there is a lot of weight on them, a lot of self-consciousness about how they are doing. [and] Many people have a say.

“To be able to perform at a high level with everything around you… I’m proud they did that.

“You just want to play football and keep improving, but there are times in the game when a lot of eyes are on you, everyone is talking about you and you have press conferences.

“You have to be able to perform in multiple situations in this game. I’m very happy that these guys were able to perform at a high level in abnormal weeks.”

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