As her husband’s team slumped to a dismal 54-point halftime deficit, Alexandra Merrett decided her Sunday evening could be better spent. The wife of Essendon AFL star Zach Merrett left Marvel Stadium, headed for one of Melbourne’s most exclusive restaurants, and documented the entire switch-up for her TikTok followers.
The video, posted during the Bombers’ clash with the Western Bulldogs, showed Alexandra finishing a plate of food and sipping wine at the high-end establishment Gimlet, where a single cocktail can cost as much as $65. Her caption spelled out the reasoning: “When your husband’s team is losing by 50 points at half time so you go to gimlet instead.”
The match she left behind
The match she departed was unfolding as another low point in a deeply difficult period for Essendon. The club was in the midst of a 17-game losing streak, a run of misfortune that included a 13-game losing sequence the previous season, which coach Brad Scott attributed to being cruelled by injuries. The eventual scoreline of 14.15 (99) to 9.11 (65) in favour of the Bulldogs only extended that bleak record.
Some fans responded to Alexandra’s video with lighthearted criticism, pointing out she missed a marginally improved third-quarter performance. “Look what happens when you leave,” one commented, while another wrote, “You lowkey missed out girl, we finally won a quarter.”
The scrutiny on Zach Merrett
The social media post placed an unwelcome spotlight back on her husband, Zach Merrett, at a time when the player is under intense scrutiny. The 30-year-old, widely regarded as one of Essendon’s best since his 2014 debut, attempted a trade to Hawthorn last year that ultimately failed.
The fallout from that move saw him step aside from the club’s captaincy. However, this season he has been reintegrated into Essendon’s leadership meetings. His performance against the Bulldogs, particularly in the second half, drew specific praise from coach Brad Scott, who highlighted Merrett’s role as the team fights to stay galvanised during its demoralising streak.
“It’s just a fact that can’t be argued,” Scott said of the 17 consecutive losses after the match. “No one puts the number up with an asterisk next to it… It’s just one of those facts that you have to deal with and it potentially can get demoralising, but that’s what we’re fighting against.”
Reactions from within the game
When asked about the TikTok video on radio station 3AW, Essendon captain Andrew McGrath stated he was unaware of it. “I don’t really have too much of a view on it. What people do in their private lives is up to them,” McGrath said. “We know full well that Zach has really bought into what we’re doing. He’s as passionate as I’ve ever seen him.”
Other AFL figures were less forgiving. AFL legend and former Richmond player Matthew Richardson expressed personal disapproval. “It’s not something I would like out of my partner if I was in that situation,” he told 3AW, though he acknowledged the different norms of the social media era.
Recently retired Carlton star Sam Docherty offered a sharper critique, suggesting the video harmed Merrett’s efforts to mend relationships after his trade request. “The fact of the matter is it’s just really not helping Zach’s relationship to mend with the fans and the club and the playing group,” Docherty said. He questioned the value of the post, adding, “If anything, it can create little factions off the footy field [with other players and their partners] which just doesn’t help when you’re in a footy club and everything’s going wrong.”
The incident draws an incidental parallel to a darker chapter in Essendon’s history; the club’s last 17-game losing streak occurred in 2016, a season ravaged by player suspensions stemming from the supplements saga.
