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

[Lore]

There we go, that's the clip:

 

[samthemanlonergan]

Would Hawthorn look at -

8 (turns into 14-17 by draft day), F1 (15-22 in 2026 realistically) + Josh Ward?

Is he likely someone who would be pushed out of the 23 if you had Merrett available to pick?

Would require Essendon upping his current contract about 30-40% I'd imagine and I realize we are not the most attractive option to come to right now.

 

[Lore]

It can't be MacKenzie as well as two firsts.

It will be 2 firsts and Hustwaite, or pick 8 and MacKenzie.

I'd be staggered if we offered up Cam at all though.

This was a pick 7 in 2022. Who has been showing gradual improvement and played his best career match early this season before breaking his hand and struggling to regain confidence. He isn't going to be packaged up alongside two first round draft picks. That would be madness from Hawthorn.

Some combination of those pieces sounds about right.

And not to be a bitch about it, but Hawthorn fans have been staggered by their club’s trade activities before.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Would Hawthorn look at -

8 (turns into 14-17 by draft day), F1 (15-22 in 2026 realistically) + Josh Ward?

Is he likely someone who would be pushed out of the 23 if you had Merrett available to pick?

Would require Essendon upping his current contract about 30-40% I'd imagine and I realize we are not the most attractive option to come to right now.

No they wouldn't. Plus Ward grew up a Hawk tragic, he's not going to want out.

 

[sinkintins]

He could have left at any of those points, instead he took on the captaincy and pushed others to stay as well when they were free agents or out of contract.

Yet not much has improved from a club perspective, meanwhile his on field performance has been high quality throughout. I think it's fair to say from your own comment that he has tried to make it work, until it's clear that it wont.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

“Both [Scott & Vozzo] suspected Merrett wanted out, but neither had been told categorically this was the case before he met with Hawthorn.”

The whole "essendon are filthy and blindsided" fantasy is a good one though. Ignores everything that leaked from his exit interview.

Not sure why they'd discuss their stance on a player not being traded at Board level if they had no awareness of his desire to leave.

 

[Lore]

The whole "essendon are filthy and blindsided" fantasy is a good one though. Ignores everything that leaked from his exit interview.

Not sure why they'd discuss their stance on a player not being traded at Board level if they had no awareness of his desire to leave.

Well is this coming from petroro or not? Surely petroro knows what he told the club.

 

[Makeshift Park]

He said Hawthorn media manager not list manager. Big difference

Ah fair enough. Must’ve misheard.

Still, it makes more sense that you’d get confirmation from both the hawks side and the Merrett side before publishing. The allegation is that Merrett is meeting with a rival team in defiance of his current team loyalties. That needs to be put to Merrett, unless of course the story is coming from his management in the first place.

 

[Lore]

Ah fair enough. Must’ve misheard.

Still, it makes more sense that you’d get confirmation from both the hawks side and the Merrett side before publishing. The allegation is that Merrett is meeting with a rival team in defiance of his current team loyalties. That needs to be put to Merrett, unless of course the story is coming from his management in the first place.

One or the other of the articles I read had a thing at the bottom saying Merrett had been contacted for comment. Might’ve been the abc article or something

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Well is this coming from petroro or not? Surely petroro knows what he told the club.

Is what coming from Petroro?

Essendon sold the line to Ralph that they were blindsided and filthy.
It's a fantasy, when Merrett had expressed his lack of optimism on the immediate future at his exit meeting and the Football dept then discussed their stance on his desire to leave at their next Board meeting.

 

[Lore]

Is what coming from Petroro?

Essendon sold the line to Ralph that they were blindsided and filthy.
It's a fantasy, when Merrett had expressed his lack of optimism on the immediate future at his exit meeting and the Football dept then discussed their stance on his desire to leave at their next Board meeting.

The quote in my post was from Tom
Morris’s article with his info about the hawthorn meeting that you said came from Merrett’s management.

If Morris is writing something after talking to Merrett’s management, then surely he would also know whether Vozzo and Scott had been informed?

Why would he say they weren’t if he knows differently.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

The quote in my post was from Tom
Morris’s article with his info about the hawthorn meeting that you said came from Merrett’s management.

If Morris is writing something after talking to Merrett’s management, then surely he would also know whether Vozzo and Scott had been informed?

Why would he say they weren’t if he knows differently.

Petroro has said that they weren't told categorically, but clearly they knew where this was all headed without him doing so, by the sheer fact that the discussion was had at board level and the board had decided to declare "Merrett will not be traded uner any circumstances".

 

[Lore]

Petroro has said that they weren't told categorically, but clearly they knew where this was all headed without him doing so, by the sheer fact that the discussion was had at board level and the board had decided to declare "Merrett will not be traded uner any circumstances".

And then Petroro tells Tom Morris on Tuesday night that the board told him that Merrett will not be traded. Fox tees up Brad Scott for Wednesday night on 360. Then Petroro doesn’t ring his mate Vozzo even as a courtesy. Instead he waits until after Mitchell’s weekly press conference to ring Morris up again to tell him about the Hawthorn meeting the night before? Brad then goes on 360, by which point Vozzo is also lined up for Thursday morning with SEN.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

And then Petroro tells Tom Morris on Tuesday night that the board told him that Merrett will not be traded. Fox tees up Brad Scott for Wednesday night on 360. Then Petroro doesn’t ring his mate Vozzo even as a courtesy. Instead he waits until after Mitchell’s weekly press conference to ring Morris up again to tell him about the Hawthorn meeting the night before? Brad then goes on 360, by which point Vozzo is also lined up for Thursday morning with SEN.

Ok, whats' your point?

 

[Lore]

Ok, whats' your point?

I’m just trying to put a timeline together. So far it’s not making a great deal of sense.

 

[BIGHAWK23]

Timeline arguments, this thread is moving

I miss when people said the reason Zach wants a trade is because he is tired

 

[Lore]

Timeline arguments, this thread is moving

I miss when people said the reason Zach wants a trade is because he is tired

We’re collaborating, not arguing.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

I’m just trying to put a timeline together. So far it’s not making a great deal of sense.

Ok, well that's not ever really going to work, because we don't know who was told what when. There's too many gaps and too many assumptions to be made.

What we do know is that Merrett made some waves at his exit meeting.
We know this because his potential trade was a topic at the board meeting, where his trade request(that he'd not yet made) was shut down.

 

[Spook]

Pages and pages of Hawthorn fans saying no team has ever paid x for a 30 year old.
So what would you pay. You are very close, lacking in the midfield and one of the best midfielders in the comp wants to come to you. Are you willing to let this slip.

We are only 2 years into a 10 year period of contending. See our history: https://afltables.com/afl/teams/hawthorn/season.html

We don’t rebuild, play or trade for 1 flag, we build, play and trade for 10 years and multiple flags. We are not going throw away our future for a short term solution. Our great players have multiple premiership medals, not 1.

Merrett is a great player, leader and consistent performer. But at 30 he’s not worth 2 first round picks.

 

[EBERT THE KING]

It can't be MacKenzie as well as two firsts.

It will be 2 firsts and Hustwaite, or pick 8 and MacKenzie.

I'd be staggered if we offered up Cam at all though.

This was a pick 7 in 2022. Who has been showing gradual improvement and played his best career match early this season before breaking his hand and struggling to regain confidence. He isn't going to be packaged up alongside two first round draft picks. That would be madness from Hawthorn.

I find this hilarious.

"It can't be"

Mate, you'll be coughing up handsomely for Merrett. And Sam Mitchell is that ruthless that he will personally cut ties with a Cam Mckenzie or a Mitch Lewis if thats what gets the deal done.

This deal makes Hawthorn the 2026 premiership favourite. Sam Mitchell isn't thinking about 2030 when Cam McKenzie gets good. Hes thinking about 2026 becoming a premiership coach.

 

[Lore]

Ok, well that's not ever really going to work, because we don't know who was told what when. There's too many gaps and too many assumptions to be made.

What we do know is that Merrett made some waves at his exit meeting.
We know this because his potential trade was a topic at the board meeting, where his trade request(that he'd not yet made) was shut down.

We know it was 2 hours long, Petroro was present with the expectation of sorting out a contract extension. They ended up dissecting the list, Merrett wasn’t happy, and no extension was agreed to.

Monday night Merrett had dinner with Brad. Tuesday he apparently spoke to Brad like he does every day, and Brad thought they were on the same page about their vision for the club. They didn’t talk on Wednesday before 360 went to air.

Edit to add: Petroro spoke to Sam Edmund before 6pm on Wednesday about Merrett’s reasons for “exploring” the Hawthorn option, which centred on whether Essendon’s youth would mature fast enough for him to be a part of whatever they might build together.

 

[SunshineHawkCal]

We are only 2 years into a 10 year period of contending. See our history: https://afltables.com/afl/teams/hawthorn/season.html

We don’t rebuild, play or trade for 1 flag, we build, play and trade for 10. We are not going throw away our future for a short term solution. Our great players have multiple premiership medals, not 1.

Merrett is a great player, leader and consistent performer. But at 30 he’s not worth 2 first round picks.

You think one first & a player & another pick?

 

[Gavin Excell]

For what reason?

Matthew Lloyd is the most prominent former Essendon captain in the media and only the other day he said this is a Essendon problem, not a Merrett one.

From what I hear from Lloyd, he comes across as sensible, fair and reasoned when discussing his old club

 

[Makeshift Park]

Merrett is a great player, leader and consistent performer. But at 30 he’s not worth 2 first round picks.

If you believe he’s the difference between your club having a serious shot at a flag in each of the next three seasons, or remaining one step behind the Brisbanes and Geelongs of the comp, you’d pay a couple first rounders every day of the week.

 

[HairyO]

From what I hear from Lloyd, he comes across as sensible, fair and reasoned when discussing his old club

His comments seemed well measured. He knows the club has performed worse than expected and knows the club has to fix this.

He has also commented on the people running the club.

Hird sounded more like someone who is wondering if he can take advantage of the situation.

 

[TONYC3163]

Maybe it’s because they are moderators, but enjoying the collaboration/logic/non partisan nature of their discussions.