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"Let’s get serious": King's challenge to Brad Scott
SEN • September 5th, 2025 6:15 pm
SEN Fireball co-hosts Kane Cornes and David King have extended an open invite to Essendon coach Brad Scott following a tumultuous week of exit rumours.
The Bombers are on the verge of losing senior figures with Sam Draper expected to leave through free agency and Jordan Ridley formally seeking a trade.
And as reported in recent days, captain Zach Merrett is also discontent with the club, with reports suggesting that the long-serving veteran may also be keen on a move away from The Hangar.
Given the rumours, King has urged Scott to speak on the ongoings within the four walls of the club.
“I thought Michael Voss was brilliant with us last week,” King told SEN Fireball.
“He fired some bullets and straightened us up a couple of times. In the end, that’s what you want to hear from your coach, what’s going on.
“I challenge Essendon to do the same. I challenge Brad Scott to come and talk to the fans. What is going on at Essendon?
“It seems to me that the Zach Merrett discussion is an annual event. They have to sell the club to him every year, there’s rumours of discontent with other senior players, (Sam) Draper walking out after reports of them having dinner together and trying to thrash out their issues – didn’t work, he’s gone.”
“So, is this an open invitation to Brad?” Cornes asked.
King: “100% it is!
“I think the Essendon fans want to know what’s going on with their footy club. Come and front up, sit with us for 20 minutes.
“When there’s so many murmurings about Merrett in particular, your captain weighing up offers and those sorts of things…”
Cornes: “They would say that he’s contracted for two years, and this is a non-story. ‘We’re not trading him’…”
King: “But they don’t say that.”
Cornes: “Zach is a player that needs to start going, ‘I need to trust the people around me at the footy club, rather than going external all the time’. He wants coffee catchups with everyone.
“He’s looking for advice, which is what makes him great and Essendon are supportive of that but at some point, you go ‘I’ve played 250 games, I’m 30 years of age, I don’t need the external coffee catchup advice’.
“What happens there is, he might say to someone I’m a bit frustrated with this’, that person tells someone and then it explodes into Zach Merrett wants out!”
King: “There’s only one voice I want to hear from, and that’s the coach.
“He’s got his hands on the steering wheel. Talk to your fans. They’re talking about (Elijah) Tsatas leaving, they’re talking about (Kyle) Langford being under stress to leave, their ruckman has just walked out.
“Come on, let’s get serious.”
