INTERIM Essendon coach Dean Solomon is happy to overlook one poor game from Zach Merrett, saying the former skipper has been "huge" for both him and the Bombers in recent weeks.

Merrett was almost invisible for large patches of Sunday night's 90-point loss to Brisbane, finishing the game with 11 disposals.

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It was just the second time in 2026 he had recorded less than 20 touches in a match, following a 10-disposal outing against North Melbourne in round three.

Solomon said Merrett had been "sensational" since he took over the coaching reins from Brad Scott in late May.

"He's been a massive support the last five or six weeks for me," Solomon said.

"Yes, he had a down game today. I can't knock Zach. I've got to be fair and take all things into consideration."

After being denied a trade request at the end of last season, Merrett has again been among the Bombers' best in another tumultuous campaign, averaging 27 disposals and five tackles through 17 matches.

"He's been huge for this football club and for me," Solomon said.

"Has a down one tonight, but I'm not going to jump on that. I'll protect Zach."

Merrett, who was moved from the midfield to half-forward after half-time, was not the only Bomber to have a quiet night.

Essendon trailed by 95 points at three-quarter time against the two-time premiers before kicking seven of its eight goals in the final term to restrict the damage.

"They taught us a lesson," Solomon said.

"When the opposition apply the pressure, we can't handle the pressure at the moment. It's a lack of confidence and belief.

"We're turning the dial on individual players and how much they impact the game without the ball in their hand.

"That's what we've been judging a lot of our selection off. We need people that want to shift the needle here, who want to be part of the solution."

Although Brisbane coach Chris Fagan was slightly disappointed with the final quarter, all-in-all he was happy with the percentage-boosting victory that saw his team leap back into the top four.

"I guess if you had have said to me at the start of the day we'd get a strong 90-point win, I probably would have taken it," Fagan said.

"It's hard to maintain the intensity. I just thought for the first three quarters our hunt and our pressure was fantastic.

"That's what you want as a coach, you want the perfect performance. You rarely, if ever, get it. Up until three-quarter time it was pretty good, so I'll take that."

While Lachie Neale, Will Ashcroft and former Bomber Sam Draper starred, out of contract free agent Zac Bailey put in another stellar performance with two goals from 23 touches.

His goal following the half-time siren saw him mobbed by teammates in a celebration that appeared a little more special than normal.

Fagan had a chuckle when asked whether there was any news on his star's contract status.

"Nah, nah, there's no news," he grinned.

"That's just what we do. We get around our blokes when they score and try to create excitement.

"I think every player in this club wants Zac to stay.

"As I said in my press conference the other day, the journalists who report on the game know more than what we know. That's not me having a go at them. All I know is he’s playing good footy and he’s happy around the footy club.

"So, to me, the signs are he wants to stay. He's not troubled by anything

"I'm confident. I hope it's not stupid confidence."