Brad Scott was happy for Zach Merrett to leave Essendon and hopes the former captain will still find a new AFL home.
In his first interview since being sacked as the Bombers' coach, Scott said the club was still probably a couple of years away from being a competitive finals team.
He said the decision to sack him came as a surprise, but he understood it because of the mounting pressure brought by Essendon's woeful form.
His comments on Tuesday night came hours after Essendon president Andrew Welsh did not rule out the return of James Hird as next year's senior coach.
Welsh, who stood by the call to block Merrett's trade request last year, is adamant the Bombers "won't be pushed around" even as they have sunk further into the doldrums.
