BRAD Scott concedes he was blindsided by Essendon's decision to sack him as coach on Tuesday, adding the club should have traded former captain Zach Merrett to Hawthorn last season. 

The Bombers dismissed their senior coach on Tuesday after the club managed just one win in its first 11 games of the season.

Scott revealed he had yet to speak to the Bombers players because the news of his departure leaked out of the club before he got the chance to address them.

Speaking on Channel Seven, Scott revealed he had not agreed with the club's decision to hold Merrett to his contract last year after the star midfielder had agitated to get to the Hawks, but toed the party line.

"That was a club decision to retain Zach," he said.

"My view was that Zach had given incredible service to the Essendon Football Club ... I felt for him.

"I thought he had been promised things over and over again and he was at his wit's end and he couldn't invest in the team anymore. Now, he certainly does with his actions on the field.

"But my view was that we should have let him go. But the club's view was that we should keep him. And my view is what the club's view is and I fronted that."

Scott added it would be "mutually beneficial" for Merrett to depart the club at the end of this season.

"I think it's the right thing for him and it's the right thing for the club. I think it would be mutually beneficial for both. But that was my view at the end of last year. But that was my view, not the overall club's view," he said.

Scott conceded he was shocked by the timing of his exit, saying the club had been fully supportive of the plan to rebuild.

"We're going through a difficult period, clearly, but it hasn't felt any different to other weeks," he said.

"I've been really well supported over a long period of time with the plan we put in place, and all the key people were part of that plan. So it felt like business as usual to me.

"I don't believe this was the right decision. I believe we were all committed to the path.

"But I also understand, when losses add up, pressure is applied.

"It was surprising but in a way, I've been in this industry for a long time, it was not surprising because pressure does strange things."

Scott expressed frustration that the news of his sacking broke before he had the chance to speak to his players, but added it was not uncommon for news to leak out of the club.

"I have unfortunately come to expect it a little bit. It's been a challenge at Essendon over the journey," he said.

"But the frustrating bit about this was I spoke with Andrew (president Andrew Welsh) last night (Monday) and we were going to catch up at 7.30 this morning and we were going to hold it tight. There were only eight people who knew, plus the media manager. And then I'd get the opportunity to speak to the players.

"But at 7.30, the players already knew because everyone knew. So it made it untenable to go to the club and speak to the players. So that'll have to come a bit later."

Scott said he believed in Essendon's strategy with their squad rebuild, but added there would be no quick fix.

Asked how long before they would be a competitive finals team, he replied: "It's probably a couple of years away."

Scott also refuted speculation of a rift with Dean Solomon, who now takes over as interim coach. Solomon was part of Essendon's last premiership team in 2000 and is a former teammate of Hird and Welsh.

"We get along really well," Scott said. "He's a rock-solid Essendon person."

- with AAP