Essendon coach Brad Scott couldn't be more proud of his captain Zach Merrett, and didn't stop at drawing similarities with Collingwood champion Nathan Buckley.
The 2003 Brownlow medallist was renowned for his ruthless work ethic, whilst his leadership exuded a Superman-esque sense among the black and white army.
Since taking over as captain in 2023, Merrett has made major inroads into setting the example for his teammates, and Thursday's performance reflected that.
The classy left-footer gathered 35 disposals, five clearances, seven marks, nine score involvements and eight inside 50s.
But what mattered most was his calming presence in the final term as North Melbourne made a late charge towards victory, finding targets in clutch moments.
Merrett recorded 11 of his 35 touches in the last quarter, running at 100 per cent effectiveness. He also gathered three contested possessions and four marks.
"No arguments from me," Scott said of Merrett being on best on ground.
"What makes him so good? How long you got? It's unfair to make too many comparisons, but this one, I think, is appropriate. He reminds me so much of Nathan Buckley in his will to win.
"He's so driven. I had the misfortune of playing against Nathan Buckley, and the fortune of coaching him, and he's drive and will to win is close to second to none. And Merrett reminds me so much of him in that regard.
"But Merrett also, like Nathan, backs it up with work ethic. He works on his craft every day. He's always seeking to get better. And he expects that of his teammates.
"The other part of his game that's developed enormously is his leadership on and off the field. He's always been a very good player at AFL level. But now he's taking others with him. He's not just content to be the best player on the ground."
Merrett's leadership was on full display when first-year player Isaac Kako broke through multiple tackles through the centre of the ground, and instead of finding his skipper running free towards goal, went for glory, and missed.
Although the 29-year-old showed immediate disappointment, he held his tongue, knowing he needed to support the youngster.
"That is the fine line. We have worked really hard in that space, and Zach has led that. Isaac just didn't see him," Scott said.
"I reckon 3, 4, 5 years ago he would have shown a lot more disappointment than he did tonight."
The Bombers have now won four of their past five encounters, and will take on Sydney next week at Marvel Stadium.
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