Captain Zach Merrett admits he's disappointed by the Tribunal's decision to uphold his one match ban for rough conduct.

Following a tackle on Melbourne's Tom Sparrow, Merrett's action was graded as careless conduct, medium impact and high contact which resulted in the AFL's Match Review Officer sanctioning Merrett with a one-game ban.

With Merrett challenging the decision based on the belief his actions did not constitute a dangerous tackle, the Tribunal sided with the AFL, agreeing Merrett should have realised Sparrow was in a vulnerable position and had cause to sustain a potential injury.

Speaking directly to 7News Melbourne after hearing his fate, Merrett says he had hoped for a better outcome, with the skipper signalling there will likely be no further appeals.

"It's pretty raw and still sinking in, but it's massively disappointing," Merrett said.

"That'll be it for now. I had a really strong case that we presented honestly and I thought we were a big chance to be downgraded or thrown out, so it's a bit disappointing."

While flattened at the verdict, Merrett says he'll accept the Tribunal's decision.

And despite the shattering news, the 26-year-old will quickly turn his attention to helping his side prepare as best it can for a top-four clash with Collingwood. 

"Ultimately I've got to accept the Tribunal's decision," Merrett said.

"I feel like I'm someone who's played a lot of footy, who's trained a lot and has worked a lot on how I tackle. I've attempted over 14-1500 tackles in my career, so to be in this position, it's extremely disappointing.

"(To be banned) before an Anzac Day game between two top four teams, to not be able to lead the boys out is shattering to be honest, but I'm there to help them."