Kane Cornes accuses Zach Merrett of ‘giving up’ against North Melbourne

Channel 7 commentator Kane Cornes has accused Essendon star Zach Merrett of “giving up” in a scathing assessment of his performance against North Melbourne on Saturday night.

Merrett had one of the worst games of his glittering career, collecting just 10 disposals as he struggled to deal with the close attention of Kangaroos youngster Finn O’Sullivan.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Zach Merrett under fire for disappointing display

The veteran did still lay nine tackles and kick a goal, but it was well down on his usual output.

It also continues a drop-off in performance compared to last year when he won his sixth club best and fairest award.

Merrett and the club endured a tumultuous off-season when he requested a trade to Hawthorn that ultimately never eventuated after the two parties failed to agree on a trade.

The 30-year-old stepped down as captain in the aftermath, but was invited back into the leadership group last week after the club’s demoralising loss to Port Adelaide.

Cornes had previously noticed that Merrett had changed his game this season to be an “outside receiver”, but was highly critical of a number of efforts against the Roos.

“I said last week I wouldn’t let him anywhere near the leadership group. I’ve been on Merrett watch since Round 1 against Hawthorn because I think he’s changed his game,” he said on The Agenda Setters.

“He wants to be an outside receiver. O’Sullivan goes to him and he did not want to defend.

“Now, I never thought I would say this about Zach Merritt, but I thought he gave up.

“I’ve played on players that have given up probably 100 times in my career. You can see it straight away.

“When I say give up ... he doesn’t want contact. He doesn’t want to accept what (Darcy) Parish did, take the ball and accept the contact.

“He’s playing against a 25-gamer O’Sullivan who was outstanding. He was hungry, but there was missed tackles. There was dual missed tackles.

“There’s a lack of physicality. There’s a want to be on the outside receiving and not a want to be inside leading.

“So for two, three weeks in a row, I look at Zach Merrett and go, where’s the leadership? He’s bumped off the ball there by a 25-gamer.

“And I never thought I would see the day where that proud player, a six-timer, gave up.

“And I say that, honestly, because I watched it and I watched it behind the goals. He gave up. Now, it’s not to say he won’t be better next week, but that was ordinary.”

Meanwhile, St Kilda Nick Riewoldt could sympathise with Merrett given what he has given to the club over his career and called on Bombers teammates to provide support when he is being tagged.

“I’m feeling sorry for him at this point. Now, I know he’s brought some of this on himself,” he said.

“But he dug in for this football club for a long time. And I think he could see what was coming. But when you make him stay, when you hold him hostage, essentially, and you make him stay, you’ve got to show him some love, don’t you?

“And you’ve got to help him at the same time.

“I’m talking about on the field. You’ve still got to help him.

“When you (Cornes) go and tag someone and he’s on an island, completely siloed away from his teammates, he’s fighting a lone battle. It makes your job a lot easier.

“The Bombers did not help him.

“Are they looking at him and saying, ‘I’m going to come across and block for you?’ Or are they looking at him and saying, ‘well, you wanted out, so why would I?’”