- Alleged vandalism has surfaced at club HQ
Police are investigating an incident in which part of the Essendon AFL team’s headquarters was set on fire on Tuesday.
Police are now looking into alleged vandalism of the playing surface at the club’s training facilities in Melbourne’s north-west.
Essendon emerged from the Easter break to discover a mystery message burned into their hallowed turf, just days after they were soundly beaten by the Western Bulldogs.
Images showing the damage to the ground have since been captured, but the club has kept the phrase that was burnt into the ground a secret.
Reports have suggested the writing, which was done in petrol and set aflame, was an attempt to send a message after the Bombers’ 0-4 start to the season.
‘Police are investigating criminal damage to the grounds of a sports oval on Watsons Drive near Melbourne Airport reported on 7 April,’ Victoria Police said in a statement.
Essendon’s football HQ in Melbourne’s north-west (pictured) has been vandalised by footy fans who used petrol to set part of the facility on fire
Zach Merrett (pictured right) and his team have slumped to an 0-4 start to 2026
‘The estimated damage is $10,000. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.’
The development comes days after the wife of one of Essendon’s biggest stars made headlines with a controversial social media post.
Former skipper Zach Merrett’s wife Alexandra stunned the footy world when she left the team’s match at halftime on Sunday to purchase a meal and a wine at one of Melbourne’s most upmarket restaurants.
Merrett’s Bombers were outclassed by the Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium, scoring just one goal by the time Alexandra left the ground.
Mrs Merrett was slammed by former AFL stars Matthew Richardson and Sam Docherty for posting a TikTok video showing her finishing her plate and refreshing her palate with a glass of wine at Gimlet.
The clip was captioned ‘When your husband’s team is losing by 50 points at half time so you go to gimlet instead’.
The recent vandalism is the second act of its kind in the last week, with fans taking to the streets of Melbourne to push for the sacking of Carlton coach Michael Voss.
A large ‘Sack Voss’ message was painted on a building adjoining a café in Richmond.
The fresh graffiti is believed to have surfaced in the wake of Carlton’s demoralising Good Friday loss to North Melbourne.
