A ‘blindsided’ Brad Scott has taken a parting shot at his former club over the Zach Merrett saga, saying the Bombers should have facilitated a trade.

Scott’s tenure as Essendon coach came to an end on Tuesday after just one win from his past 24 games despite having 18 months left on his contract.

Despite the poor results on the field, Scott said he was blindsided by the decision to sack him.

“I mean, we’re going through a difficult period clearly, but it hasn’t felt any different to other weeks. And again, I’ve been really well supported over a long period of time with a plan that we put in place,” he said on Wednesday’s The Agenda Setters.

“All the key people were part of that plan and building that plan so it felt like business as usual to me that we’d clearly articulated the risks going into this season and the difficulties we may face, but we believe in the plan and I still believe in the plan.

“So yeah, it was surprising, but in a way, I’ve been in this industry for a long time. It’s not surprising because pressure does strange things.”

Scott said he was frustrated that the media knew of his sacking before he had told players, saying leaks from the club have been a challenge.

“I spoke to Andrew last night, we were going to catch up at 7.30 this morning, we were going to hold it tight,” he said.

“There are only eight people who knew, plus a media manager. And then I’d get the opportunity to speak to the players. But at 7.30 in the morning, the players already knew, because everyone knew. So it made it untenable to go to the club and speak to the players.”

However, Scott said he had no regrets about taking on the challenge of Essendon, but knew the cultural change he wanted to drive at the club would be a difficult road and said it was the wrong decision to let him go now.

“I was really, you know, energised about the opportunity to try and turn around a great club that had been starved of success for a long time,” he said.

“But at the end of 2023, I was really concerned on a number of fronts that we needed to make significant cultural change, and we needed to make significant list change.

“I don’t believe it was the right decision (to sack me). I think we’re all committed to a path. And I’d committed to a playing group that we’re all committed to the President, the CEO and the board, and we were all on the same page.

“This strategy and this plan has been incredibly difficult. But it’s still the right thing to do. And it’s the right thing to do for the club. And that’s my view, was always that this isn’t the right thing for me. But it is the right thing for the club.”

On cultural change, Scott said it was not his decision to retain Zach Merrett, whose attempt to get to Hawthorn in the trade period last year dramatically collapsed on the final day.

“My view was that Zach had given incredible service to the Essendon football club. He’d been through multiple strategies, multiple coaches, and been made promises on multiple occasions,” he said.

“You know, my view is always you invest in the team, and you put the team first. And Zach found that really hard to do at the end of last year. And I felt for him and I felt for his family.”

He also disagreed with the sentiment that Merrett was being selfish by trying to leave the club.

“I didn’t think he was being selfish. I thought he had been promised things over and over again. He was at his wits’ end and he couldn’t invest in the team anymore,” he said.

“Now, he certainly does through his actions on field. But, you know, my view was that we should let him go. But the club’s view was that we should keep him. So again, my view is what the club’s view is. And I fronted that.”