On a busy Tuesday evening for the tribunal, Merrett appeared first, with St Kilda's Anthony Caminiti and Collingwood's Taylor Adams due to front later.
Merrett opted to challenge his rough conduct ban for a dangerous tackle on Melbourne's Tom Sparrow on Saturday.
The tackle was graded as careless conduct, medium impact and high contact, and the Bombers wanted to get it downgraded to low impact.
After 27 minutes of deliberation, chair Jeff Gleeson, Stewart Loewe and Stephen Jurica sided with the AFL, agreeing Merrett should have realised Sparrow was vulnerable and the potential for injury made it medium impact.
Sparrow was assessed but did not need to leave the field and shouldn't miss any training or games.
AFL counsel Nick Pane KC said the tackle met two criteria to be considered rough conduct: that Sparrow was in a vulnerable position and that he was slung, driven or rotated into the ground with excessive force.
The AFL's case rested on Merrett's right hand holding Sparrow's jumper by the back of the neck, meaning he would drive the midfielder's head into the ground.
Merrett agreed he had grabbed Sparrow's jumper neckline with his right hand but was adamant he used his left arm, at the hip, to drag the Demon onto himself.
The Bombers also argued Merrett had slipped in the conditions and that Sparrow contributed to the impact by attempting to break free instead of dropping the ball and protecting himself with his one free arm.
"I'm doing every attempt to pull him onto me," Merrett said.
"I felt his impact on my right side, on my ribs and my shoulder."
Pane pointed out Merrett said force between his two arms was even, meaning the player's evidence was inconsistent with counsel Ben Ihle's argument Merrett was merely holding on with his right arm.
St Kilda sensation Caminiti is preparing to face a lengthy ban for his off-the-ball hit that concussed Collingwood's Nathan Murphy.
The AFL is set to push for a ban of at least four weeks for Caminiti after match review officer Michael Christian assessed his striking charge on Murphy as intentional conduct, severe impact and high contact.
The grading triggers an automatic tribunal hearing.
Vision shows Murphy forcefully pushing Caminiti in the chest and the St Kilda forward responding with a high raised forearm that felled his opponent.
Collingwood vice-captain Adams will challenge his own one-match ban for a dangerous tackle on St Kilda's Seb Ross.
Adams' rough conduct charge was graded as careless conduct, medium impact and high contact.
