AFL Player 7: Indefatigable Zach Merrett - Stepping down as captain for 2026

[katana]

EFC need to hold firm and let him rot on our list rather than go to the villains for cheap.

this is just stupid. cuts off our nose to spite face. we get a chance to add a top 10 draft pick to the list, we are a rebuilding team, you take it and ask for Hustwaite or a 2nd or whatever. time to stop pretending and 'draw a line in the sand'.

 

[Howard Moon]

We are so dumb... All Hawthorn did was meet with him, then stood back and watched - we've done the rest by ourselves including making his position untenable and worth diminished

 

[Lore]

Hawthorn doing all of that and offering pick 8. I'd hang up the phone and cease all communications until they're actually serious.

Afaik it's all going through Petroro anyway. So he will need to tell them to put together something better

 

[Lore]

we've done the rest by ourselves including making his position untenable and worth diminished

Have we?

Literally everything that any of Scott, Vozzo, Redman, Martin and McGrath have said is that they're disappointed but they want him to stay (and no he's not going to be traded in the case of Scott/Vozzo). If they weren't disappointed he'd probably have to conclude they don't care if he stays or goes, and isn't that several degrees of magnitude worse?

None of those things make his position untenable and his worth diminished. His position might become untenable if he doesn't attend the BnF, but that's a different thing and it's certainly not because he's been uninvited.

 

[dank420_]

We are so dumb... All Hawthorn did was meet with him, then stood back and watched - we've done the rest by ourselves including making his position untenable and worth diminished

Actually someone wrote a letter

 

[brutus76]

Papley had to go back with his tails between his legs after failing to get to Carlton and he did all right.

Same thing here. You lose the captaincy and you'll be held to higher than higher accountability or rot in the VFL

 

[Lore]

Actually someone wrote a letter

Kyptastic or Dave Barham?

 

[Wahooti Fandango]

Pick 8 is not enough, surely.

 

[Keystone agony]

Yeah I can't see Hawthorn countering our two top ten picks position with, "Ah, but he didn't attend your best and fairest, so he's not that good."
That would be met with "Get f***** then.", and rightly so.

They wouldnt probably say that, would be unlikely

Theyd just offer what they feels right

And then we decide to take it or have him return. Its hard to see him returning as many have suggested now

 

[Keystone agony]

What part of “those teams fit his criteria of destinations” is unclear to you

Champ

Players tend to pick a club these days and get there

Zerrett has already picked hawthorn

 

[dank420_]

Kyptastic or Dave Barham?

Missed my letter huh?

 

[doug85]

But low ball us how?
They're gonna come in with absolute minimum of Pick 8 + something. We'll obviously want a lot of stuff to be that "+ something".
But what on earth are Geelong or Collingwood going to offer? They're gonna have first picks in the very late teens, as opposed to Pick 8. Even if they offer their 1sts this year and next - is that any better? Say Pick 18 this year, and a future first from Geelong or Collingwood? They're not teams I want to be death-riding.

That’s the point. The hawks are reportedly only offering pick 8 according to Ralphy.

It’s arguable whether 2 firsts from the cats or pies is better or worse. But at least it’s another option if the hawks decide to behave like campaigners (and it’s Mitchell, of course they will). We can at least say “get serious or we’re dealing with other parties”. It’s some leverage

 

[doug85]

Players tend to pick a club these days and get there

Zerrett has already picked hawthorn

Officially?

I’m sure Petoro would open the bidding to other clubs if pick 8 was the only piece being offered.

 

[Keystone agony]

Officially?

I’m sure Petoro would open the bidding to other clubs if pick 8 was the only piece being offered.

Twomey reported he is hell bent on getting to Hawthorn

Youd hope so, just not sure they can offer more and it relies on hawks upping the offer which they may hold firm on

Again saying what weve said from Coach and players about him since meeting has caused us alot of issues here

 

[MiguelM]

Twomey reported he is hell bent on getting to Hawthorn

Youd hope so, just not sure they can offer more and it relies on hawks upping the offer which they may hold firm on

Again saying what weve said from Coach and players about him since meeting has caused us alot of issues here

I suspect he is done with us so if Hawks don't get the deal done Zach will have his management deal with whoever to get out of Essendon.

In our court. Stuff him.

 

[doug85]

Twomey reported he is hell bent on getting to Hawthorn

Youd hope so, just not sure they can offer more and it relies on hawks upping the offer which they may hold firm on

Again saying what weve said from Coach and players about him since meeting has caused us alot of issues here

There’s enough time until trade week ends for other players to step forward.

The other point to consider. The hawks are never going to put their best offer forward upfront. They’re playing the game. We need to play the game and make sure there’s other suitors.

 

[MPMonkeys]

Jye Simpkin has joined the chat.

 

[Lore]

There’s enough time until trade week ends for other players to step forward.

The other point to consider. The hawks are never going to put their best offer forward upfront. They’re playing the game. We need to play the game and make sure there’s other suitors.

We don't need to do anything, we let Zach's manager do the legwork.

 

[Old Campaigner]

Officially?

I’m sure Petoro would open the bidding to other clubs if pick 8 was the only piece being offered.

I’d say he’d have urged Merrett to stay put if that was as far as they’d go. The horkes would have been pretty adamant they’d get the trade done for it to unfold the way it has.

The club should start talking about plans for Merrett to reintegrate with the group and rebuild trust imo. Really get it out there that we’re happy to keep him even if we’re not

 

[sup3rfish]

We need a FAQs at the top of this thread or something.

It's not American sports, we can't just send him to the highest bidder. Richmond offer us 6x first round picks for him? That's great. Merrett still has to agree to go there.

Having said that, I do think more suitors will appear outside of just Hawthorn. I just don't think any of them will really have any better trade packages to put together than the Hawks (Eg: Collingwood, Geelong). Merrett wouldn't decline a trade to either of them, and they'd both be interested. But they are likely to have an even worse hand of assets to offer.

I agree and understand how it works just stating what i would love to see happen. we seem to want to copy American sports in a lot of other aspects so why not this.

 

[Milanista28]

They'll offer 8 and a F1st in the 1st couple of days, they aren't going to low ball, I'd be shocked if they tried to get him for pick 8 alone. Most of the time will be spent on the steak knives, Mackenzie, 26, F2nd, Reeves, Hustwaite and Serong or a combination of these pieces.

They paid a 1st, 2nd and 3rd for a 29 year old Barrass, They'll pay up for Zach.

 

[Lore]

Was trying to figure out who would be sitting at our Brownlow table this year, so pulled up the AFLCA votes as the best proxy I could think of for who might be in the running. The AFLCA website is a bit crap, but zerohanger (of all things) has an aggregated list that you can filter and search.

Durham is dsq and apparently not invited as a result. Also disqualified are Shiel and Laverde but they don't even make the top ten so it's a non-issue. Looks like our table will be Merrett, Martin, McGrath, and depending on how many are on a table, maybe Caldwell and Wright?



For context, Bailey Smith

3

Bailey Smith

Age

25

Ht

185cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.3

5star

K

8.5

3star

HB

9.8

5star

M

2.3

2star

T

3.8

5star

CL

2.7

4star

D

19.8

5star

K

9.6

4star

HB

10.2

5star

M

1.8

2star

T

3.2

4star

CL

3.2

4star

D

14.8

4star

K

7.6

3star

HB

7.2

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

3.4

5star

CL

1.6

4star

and Noah Anderson

15

Noah Anderson

Age

24

Ht

192cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.0

3star

K

6.0

2star

HB

6.0

4star

M

2.0

2star

T

0.0

1star

CL

0.0

1star

D

12.0

3star

K

6.0

2star

HB

6.0

3star

M

2.0

2star

T

0.0

1star

CL

0.0

1star

D

12.0

3star

K

6.0

3star

HB

6.0

4star

M

2.0

3star

T

0.0

1star

CL

0.0

1star

are tied for first on 103 votes. Rowell has 97, Daicos has 96 and Gawn has 92.

AFLCA Champion Player of the Year Votes Tracker

The player with the most votes at the end of the home and away season will be crowned the AFL Coaches' Association Champion Player of the Year.

www.zerohanger.com

 

[Old Campaigner]

I’m not sure of the rules, is there anything stopping them trading both their 2026 and 2027 first round picks? Can they trade future second round picks at the same time?

 

[CUcrusher]

Was trying to figure out who would be sitting at our Brownlow table this year, so pulled up the AFLCA votes as the best proxy I could think of for who might be in the running. The AFLCA website is a bit crap, but zerohanger (of all things) has an aggregated list that you can filter and search.

Durham is dsq and apparently not invited as a result. Also disqualified are Shiel and Laverde but they don't even make the top ten so it's a non-issue. Looks like our table will be Merrett, Martin, McGrath, and depending on how many are on a table, maybe Caldwell and Wright?

View attachment 2427674

For context, Bailey Smith and Noah Anderson are tied for first on 103 votes. Rowell has 97, Daicos has 96 and Gawn has 92.

AFLCA Champion Player of the Year Votes Tracker

The player with the most votes at the end of the home and away season will be crowned the AFL Coaches' Association Champion Player of the Year.

www.zerohanger.com

Couple of the young boys who won rising star noms will be there too (likely only Roberts and Kako (maybe?)

 

[Lore]

I’m not sure of the rules, is there anything stopping them trading both their 2026 and 2027 first round picks? Can they trade future second round picks at the same time?

• can trade either a first round pick or a second and third round pick from each draft.
• must use one first round pick in the draft every 4 years (rolling)

Either can be done with permission of the AFL special counsel. Without permission the former is blocked and breaching the latter results in the inability to trade future picks until a first round pick is used in the draft.

Hawthorn drafted Nick Watson last year so they're fine to trade whatever. Don't know how they'll go if they want Petracca as well though.