Essendon have kept their finals hopes well and truly alive with a dramatic 84-76 win over Carlton at the MCG but Bombers midfielder Zach Merrett could find himself in some hot water after maliciously lashing out in the second quarter.
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The 21-year-old completely lost his cool after a small scuffle, with Carlton's Lachie Plowman on the recieving end of this low blow.
A suspension now seems a near certainty with Brisbane's Dayne Zorko recently sidelined for a similar incident.
The looming loss of Merrett comes at a bad time for Essendon who will also be without Orazio Fantasia for next Saturday's clash against table-topping Adelaide.
Merrett has made 78 appearances for the Bombers since joining them in 2014 and was nominated for the AFL's Rising Star the same year.