Recommitted Zach Merrett [UFA 2027] - Wanted a trade to Hawthorn, but it didn't get done

[Lore]

There we go, that's the clip:

 

[QuietB]

I don't mean to ask a Kingy question...but who are the senior leaders at Essendon if he goes?

Get Stringer back

 

[Yoda_]

This goes one of two ways

(I) we trade him for a kings ransom, 2 x firsts.

orr

(II) we keep him for the next two years in hope we can turn it around. If we can't then he owes us nothing and leaves for free.

I dont think we trade him next year to be honest. It's either 1 or 2

 

[HirdsTheWord]

Because he’s 30 and good value is two good picks which middle firsts are.

You aren’t getting kings ransom for him, if you want to waste his last years and find yourself in no mans land still in a few years suit yourself.

thats your opinion i guess.

 

[HirdsTheWord]

You're kinda talking yourself into a scenario that doesn't really exist. There is no world where Essendon just pick an arbitrary price and someone will pay it. Merrett isn't Alexander Isak.

You don't have to trade him, that's fine. I don't have a horse in the race. If he goes to a contender it doesn't really impact my team, and if he stays where he is it doesn't really impact my team. The reality is if he stays where he is, Essendon probably aren't going to be any better than an 8-12 win side the next two years. If he goes somewhere else it will be to a side already better than that (who will get better) and if Essendon get back 2 or 3 picks in a trade are very unlikely to draft someone as good. That's footy. You might get another Caddy, you might get another Francis.

The decision is whether or not you let him go should he want to move on and make the best of it. The fact he's your captain and your best player doesn't really mean much to anyone else. Our captain is on the FA block because of the way the compo system is set up. No one is comfortable with that situation but it is what it is. The only reason the Merrett convo comes up each year is the Bombers are consistently ordinary. Hawthorn let Isaac Smith go and he played 70 games for Geelong and won a flag and a Norm Smith. He won 46 games in 3 years, they won 22. And now they are fine. Part and parcel of list turnover.

As good as Merrett is, would you really prefer to have him on your list from 2026 over Caddy, Kako, Durham or Martin?

It's not arbitrary at all.

you don't let a player like Merrett leave your team with 2 years left on his contract unless you get a deal that satisfies you.

 

[Lore]

I don't mean to ask a Kingy question...but who are the senior leaders at Essendon if he goes?

Goldstein, Shiel, Merrett, Parish, Redman, Langford, Laverde, McGrath, Ridley, Draper, …


The point kind of makes itself tbh

 

[Skipper_]

I don't mean to ask a Kingy question...but who are the senior leaders at Essendon if he goes?

There aren’t any.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Sorry haven't been following in draft that closely, who are the academy players that are likely to be bid on before pick 8?

Just trying to figure out if some of the comments are exaggerated, I know of Uwland who else?

WC, Richmond and Essendon hold the top 5 picks maybe top 6, then Saints, Suns and Hawks. The suns will need to trade that pick otherwise it's getting absorbed by the Uwland bid.

Uwland Patterson and Annable will go before 8. Dean and a few others are around that mark but probably get bid on in the later teens.

 

[Scotland]

It's not arbitrary at all.

you don't let a player like Merrett leave your team with 2 years left on his contract unless you get a deal that satisfies you.

It is. You can't just put a transfer fee price tag on players and expect people to pay that isn't how footy works. Every trade is framed by the context of assets. You can say pick 1 or GTFO, but he's not coming here so it doesn't mean anything unless we end up a third party.

If you are already winning 15, 16 games a year you don't gut your list or mortgage your future to satisfy someone else.

The market isn't as strong as people want it to be. Which is why clubs like Essendon, Melbourne, Carlton get to where they are and hold on to their star players. It's not like the NBA where a couple of years of a top player is gold.

 

[HirdsTheWord]

It is. You can't just put a transfer fee price tag on players and expect people to pay that isn't how footy works. Every trade is framed by the context of assets. You can say pick 1 or GTFO, but he's not coming here so it doesn't mean anything unless we end up a third party.

If you are already winning 15, 16 games a year you don't gut your list or mortgage your future to satisfy someone else.

The market isn't as strong as people want it to be. Which is why clubs like Essendon, Melbourne, Carlton get to where they are and hold on to their star players. It's not like the NBA where a couple of years of a top player is gold.

You understand that I am not Matt Rosa yeah?

What I think should happen and may happen are two different things.

IMO we don't trade Merrett unless we are getting overs. Thats how it has and will always be for contracted. The market doesn't need to be strong. We aren't looking to trade him - contracted players is a sellers market, if we don't get what we want, I think we keep him. Losing him for unders in a shit draft year is meaningless to us.

He isn't some injury plagued 30 yr old, he has another 4-5 years of elite footy left.

Were you in the Harley Reid thread suggesting it's OK to lose him for unders if he asked to go back to Melb whilst still on a contract? link me that post saying you are cool with that rofl. Think we will find you had a different answer......

 

[Milanista28]

8 and F1 and it's a wrap!

 

[Milanista28]

8 and F1 and it's a wrap!

Laugh react from a Hawk fan, disagree from a Dons. It must be bang on!

 

[Yoda_]

Laugh react from a Hawk fan, disagree from a Dons. It must be bang on!

what does Abasi think

 

[Snuffaluphagus]

Laugh react from a Hawk fan, disagree from a Dons. It must be bang on!

8 and F1 would be appropriate overs for a 30 year old who should still have legs in him due to his style. I wish Freo were any sort of sniff.

 

[MadMaxx]

If you read my post, you'd know that I wasn't completely against trading Merrett in every circumstance. I'm just wary of over investing in a weak and compromised draft given we may already have 3 top 10 picks (if Draper gets us band 1 compensation) + two early seconds and two academy players.

It's highly highly unlikely we pick up 4 guns so I'd rather wait until next year where we can either use Merrett as leverage to trade in a young established player we target or select from the draft.

A rebuild is done over multiple years. Not rushed in a single year because a rival club wants it done immediately.

By the time that conversation happens post 2026 Season, Zach will be weeks away from 31 (Oct 3rd 1995 Birthday). You wont be offered a top player or pick at that age. Steak knives only in that demographic

I would suggest that it is a "Trade him now, or he retires a 1 club player" scenario.. The latter not being a bad thing for your mob

 

[banzai]

I'd be very happy if Merrett asked for a trade to a club with draft currency. The club needs to rebuild, and players like Draper, Merrett, Langford, Ridley, Parish leaving would actually get us started on something the club hierarchy has refused to do for 15 years.

To get what exactly though? Why do you need more draft currency, you have plenty? You also arent in a position to attract good enough players in a player swap for him.

The only benefit in a rebuild situation would be that you finish a few positions lower the next few years. But then how long until players like Durham and Martin dont want to waste their whole prime not challenging for a flag either.

Your list has some good young talent, with a good draft hand to come. Going even further back from here though seems an unnecessary risk.

 

[gungho]

This goes one of two ways

(I) we trade him for a kings ransom, 2 x firsts.

orr

(II) we keep him for the next two years in hope we can turn it around. If we can't then he owes us nothing and leaves for free.

I dont think we trade him next year to be honest. It's either 1 or 2

What’s your definition of a kings ransom? Given he’s 30 in 3 weeks.

 

[gungho]

8 and F1 would be appropriate overs for a 30 year old who should still have legs in him due to his style. I wish Freo were any sort of sniff.

Snuffy, come on man. I know he’s good but who was the last 30 year old to get 2x first rounders at the trade table?

 

[stavro#4]

LOL 2 x first rounders for a 30 year old is crazy.

Anything more is bordering on the biggest trade price in the history of the game, which is crazy for a 30-year old 10 to 20 ranked mid in the league.

He has 3 years max at ELITE level, anything past that is a bonus.

Isn’t the bold the entire point?

People need to stop acting like flag windows are open for significant periods of time for all clubs. The reality is that you can go from contending to making up the numbers to sliding out of the 8 very quickly. The Hawks are an LTI to Newcombe away from being very bare in midfield and not even being in the conversation.

So if you have the chance to have 3 elite years of Merrett and you believe you are a true contenders, you go for it.

 

[gungho]

Freo got pick 6, 19 and 55, and gave up pick 30 for 25 year old Lockie Neale.
Merrett is not getting 2x first rounders.

 

[Hawkk]

Isn’t the bold the entire point?

People need to stop acting like flag windows are open for significant periods of time for all clubs. The reality is that you can go from contending to making up the numbers to sliding out of the 8 very quickly. The Hawks are an LTI to Newcombe away from being very bare in midfield and not even being in the conversation.

So if you have the chance to have 3 elite years of Merrett and you believe you are a true contenders, you go for it.

Or we find another that won’t cost us an obscene amount. The Hawks have done quite well to make top 6 without their best player, and have topped up the forward and backline with Chol, Gunston, Ginnivan, Watson in 2023 and Barrass and Battle in 2024. The 2023 haul was especially important given the long term injury to Mitch Lewis which basically whiped out their number 1 key forward (from 2023) for 18 months.

2009 Trade for Shaun Burgoyne, Jay Nash and Mark Williams - Draftguru

www.draftguru.com.au

Anyway I looked at probably the poster child for this trade (the Shaun Burgoyne trade in 2009). In effect Hawthorn gave up Mark Williams and pick 9 for a 27 year old Burgoyne who was Port Adelaide’s highest paid player, their next captain and objectively a far better player than Merrett.

I cannot see how Merrett is value for Hawthorn when there are other elite players out there that will cost less. What Hawthorn actually needs is an explosive inside out midfielder and Merrett’s not that…

 

[Hawkk]

Freo got pick 6, 19 and 55, and gave up pick 30 for 25 year old Lockie Neale.
Merrett is not getting 2x first rounders.

Yep a 25 year old Lachie Neale and a 27 year old Shaun Burgoyne are both vastly better players than Zac Merrett. It’s not even close.

Even the Chad Wingard trade (which was a disaster) was much better value. For a 25 year old Wingard, Hawthorn gave up Ryan Burton and picks 15 and 35.

2018 Trade for Ryan Burton and Chad Wingard - Draftguru

www.draftguru.com.au

How on earth is a 30 year old Zac Merrett worth more than Chad Wingard at 25? Especially given Hawthorn need collateral to chase Petracca and a third A-grade midfielder in the next 2-3 years…

Another (disaster) was the Jaegar O’Meara trade. We gave up pick 10 and a future second rounder for a 22 year old O’Meara who was the original Gold Coast Suns franchise player…

2016 Trade for Jaeger O'Meara - Draftguru

www.draftguru.com.au

And then was a 23 year old Tom Mitchell who was actually the Swans best on ground in the 2016 grand final. We picked him up (a future Brownlow medalist) coming into his prime (in a spud Hawthorn team) for pick 14 only.

Given this, pick 8 and the Worpel FA compo pick is very reasonable or a F1 and FA if we need pick 8 for Petracca too.

 

[stavro#4]

Or we find another that won’t cost us an obscene amount. The Hawks have done quite well to make top 6 without their best player, and have topped up the forward and backline with Chol, Gunston, Ginnivan, Watson in 2023 and Barrass and Battle in 2024. The 2023 haul was especially important given the long term injury to Mitch Lewis which basically whiped out their number 1 key forward (from 2023) for 18 months.

2009 Trade for Shaun Burgoyne, Jay Nash and Mark Williams - Draftguru

www.draftguru.com.au

Anyway I looked at probably the poster child for this trade (the Shaun Burgoyne trade in 2009). In effect Hawthorn gave up Mark Williams and pick 9 for a 27 year old Burgoyne who was Port Adelaide’s highest paid player, their next captain and objectively a far better player than Merrett.

I cannot see how Merrett is value for Hawthorn when there are other elite players out there that will cost less. What Hawthorn actually needs is an explosive inside out midfielder and Merrett’s not that…

Burgoyne was suffering from a bad knee when you made that trade. He only played in 25 games of football between his last year at Port and just first year at Hawthorn.

Whilst it ultimately was successful. It was a high risk move at the time.

Merrett has proven to be durable and high production for a long time now. You point about “just finding another ” doesn’t reflect the reality of how hard it is to actually find star level talent. The alternative might be Petracca who has had a down year after a significant injury and has caused a number of issues behind the scenes.

Again, if it was so easy - multiple clubs would just find another star level talent.

 

[JayJ20]

Same question then.

Hawthorn, Geelong, Collingwood etc. are year to year operators. If Hawthorn go after Petracca, they won't go after Merrett next year. St Kilda will throw money at anyone but if they say no they move on and throw it at the next guy.

AFL players that are 30+ just don't get traded for a lot.

And that's ok. Someone like Merrett will have their suitors next year. Doesn't have to be Hawthorn, Geelong or Collingwood. Like I said, why do we need another first rounder this year? Hawthorn's pick will blow out with how compromised the draft is and their future first will likely be a late first. Petracca could request a trade to Hawthorn today and we're in the same position.

This idea that we need to rush a trade this year because a rival club like Hawthorn is going to the media is ridiculous. There is zero need to rush it. We will get exactly the same outcome or better next year with a better plan.

Unless Hawthorn turn our heads with something compelling, they can wait another year or move on.

 

[JayJ20]

Yep a 25 year old Lachie Neale and a 27 year old Shaun Burgoyne are both vastly better players than Zac Merrett. It’s not even close.

Even the Chad Wingard trade (which was a disaster) was much better value. For a 25 year old Wingard, Hawthorn gave up Ryan Burton and picks 15 and 35.

2018 Trade for Ryan Burton and Chad Wingard - Draftguru

www.draftguru.com.au

How on earth is a 30 year old Zac Merrett worth more than Chad Wingard at 25? Especially given Hawthorn need collateral to chase Petracca and a third A-grade midfielder in the next 2-3 years…

Another (disaster) was the Jaegar O’Meara trade. We gave up pick 10 and a future second rounder for a 22 year old O’Meara who was the original Gold Coast Suns franchise player…

2016 Trade for Jaeger O'Meara - Draftguru

www.draftguru.com.au

And then was a 23 year old Tom Mitchell who was actually the Swans best on ground in the 2016 grand final. We picked him up (a future Brownlow medalist) coming into his prime (in a spud Hawthorn team) for pick 14 only.

Given this, pick 8 and the Worpel FA compo pick is very reasonable or a F1 and FA if we need pick 8 for Petracca too.

Very simply, because the one with the contract names the price. The price goes up when he is our captain and the only elite player on our list.

Also, a first this year and a first last year is not worth the same because of how compromised and average the draft is.

 

[Smithdogmaddog]

Two first is a minimum but two firsts plus McKenzie is overs.

So need to try and find a mid point between both, not sure if a player fits so it might have to be another pick in the second round or hawks try and move their first pick lower down this year or next.