Brad Scott jokes about Gimlet voucher after TikTok post
Following social media outrage over Zach Merrett’s early departure from last week’s defeat, Essendon coach Brad Scott has revealed he has no issue with his playing partner’s absence from matches.
Scott said he had no expectations for his partners to attend the matches and joked that he would line his own pockets if Merrett’s wife Alexandra wanted to attend the swanky fine-dining restaurant Gimlet in Melbourne. On TikTok, she shared footage of herself drinking at the venue “while your husband’s team was losing by 50 points at halftime.”
“We are very fortunate as players and coaches to do what we do,” Scott said Thursday. “In many ways it is harder for the players than the partners.
“We can absorb just about anything. When your partners have to absorb it, it can be extremely difficult. If Alexandra wants it, I’ll buy another gift certificate to Gimlet next week.”
Winless after four matches, Scott has more pressing matters than player partners leaving matches early and vandals vandalizing the club’s training ground using petrol to write insulting messages on the pitch.
But there is hope in the Hangar that the Bombers have turned a corner after a good second-half performance against the high-flying Western Bulldogs.
Key defender Jordan Ridley will play his first game of the season against Melbourne this week, while prized draft pick Sullivan Robey is pressing hard to make his debut.
Injury-prone defender Zach Reid has been cleared of a hamstring injury. Scott is now in the unfamiliar position of having options during the election. If selected, Robey would become the club’s fifth and final graduate from last year’s draft to wear the senior sash.
“We’ve had a really good situation in terms of availability, but at the same time some of the players in the VFL are playing good football,” Scott said.
“We will make some changes and some players may feel forced when we see them, but we haven’t had that selection pressure for a long time.”
The Bombers were expected to be beaten by the Dogs but limited the damage to 34 points after falling nine goals behind at half-time.
“It’s hard to measure effort when the scoreboard is against you,” Scott said.
“A lot of people say you just want to see a competitive effort, but what they really mean is they want to see a tight margin. We’re looking at it a little deeper than that.
“We started to look like we had practiced 2½ quarters into the second half and the back half of the second quarter.
“That should give the guys some belief in what we’re doing.”
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