Unofficial Preview 2025 Hawk's Hypothetical Trade Discussion...now with added DFA spitballing!

[Strapping Young Lad]

This thread is becoming increasingly popular, and to keep some sort of order, we will have some….

Rules of engagement:

1. Bring valid news or links to Twitter posts from notable sources. Don’t post screenshots or “some bloke just said on SEN” or what some “trade whisperer” has posted on a Facebook page.

2. Ignore what other team boards are putting up as trade offers. Don’t quote or bring them here either.

3. Don’t post “buckle up” for the lols.

4. If you can’t say anything nice about Worpel or CJ, don’t say anything at all. The continued slaps and backhanders are just going to be deleted.

 

[The Golden Glenferrie]

There's a bit of bragaining going on in terms of "Merrett was not well liked" etc.

Yeah it was tricky. Between anger and bargaining atm. I did see some "ah he'll change his mind"

 

[eaglevision]

Yes yes of course, that’ll make them a destination club for sure

No one is requesting a trade there at the moment regardless of the Merrett outcome. Going to be a lot of nervous 18 years olds come draft time though….

 

[Flukey!]

Its a terribly unfair situation for Merrett now.
If it was his manager that lit the fuse, it has been a massive miscalculation by him.
There are better ways to get a contracted player out of a club than this.

 

[Buttonsticher]

Does anybody know who batted their eyes first. Us or Zach

 

[The Golden Glenferrie]

TBH I'd be fine cutting Merrett loose if we have to offer too much.

 

[2008wasoverDEW!]

So how is that "Essendon Edge" going?

 

[kazzooka]

TBH I'd be fine cutting Merrett loose if we have to offer too much.

I just can't see Essendon on the final day of trade period letting the deadline pass with Merrett still on their list. They just cannot allow it now, they have to trade him so we can just put 1 pick on the board and wait them out.

 

[unitedhawk2]

Essendon is coming to realise just how much of an insignificant club they have become. Just like Carlton, they are irrelevant.

Compare how ESS officials and players have reacted since the news broke, to when the Buddy news broke and was handled by all.

Great point - but Buddy wasn't our captain.

 

[The Golden Glenferrie]

I just can't see Essendon on the final day of trade period letting the deadline pass with Merrett still on their list. They just cannot allow it now, they have to trade him so we can just put 1 pick on the board and wait them out.

Yep. A late first after splitting 8

 

[MasterSamurai]

Its a terribly unfair situation for Merrett now.
If it was his manager that lit the fuse, it has been a massive miscalculation by him.
There are better ways to get a contracted player out of a club than this.

You serious? Essdn and Carlton are the worst run clubs with egos so big they need to crouch down through door ways! Mate , I know a few of them at those clubs, absolute ****ing flogs. You must've miss the " Zacks going nuclear " yesterday by Edmund ? Theres a lot of truth in that. There's no reasoning with that lot. The more they talk , the worst they look.

 

[flinchfree]

I say we walk away from this knowing what we just left behind.

I'm a fan of your work.

 

[eaglevision]

So how is that "Essendon Edge" going?

Whatever it takes.

 

[flinchfree]

Surprisingly our best game in the losing streak was against Saints and in that game Merret didn't play and McGrath was captain.

Maybe it's best that Merret goes

Oh please please please spread the word far and wide, let all in your poisoned world drink deeply from thine cup!

 

[Yardie]

Price coming down by the day.....

At this rate we will be able to get him for a packet of chips.

Clearly some of their leaders are eyeing off a nice pay bump or 'misery tax' as Gerard put it.

At this rate it'll be a Bowes type deal.....

 

[The Jet From Poowong]

Its a terribly unfair situation for Merrett now.
If it was his manager that lit the fuse, it has been a massive miscalculation by him.
There are better ways to get a contracted player out of a club than this.

No, this was Essendon throwing the toys out of the cot.
They knew what was coming and have proven once again that their PR is horrible

Essendon knew Zach wanted to talk to Hawthorn. They just didn’t know when or how soon. Hence why on Monday night there was media that the board would not agree to his trade.

Tom Petroro manages all of Sam Mitchell, Brad and Zach. Tom and Zach are not stupid and knew full well what they were doing would blow up.

 

[flinchfree]

they’ll need to sell a trade win to their members or they’ll hold Merrett to contract and strip him of the captaincy and parade him round with some chick ringing a bell yelling “shame”.

Absoluely ZERO chance they can do anything of the sort.
They have ****ed their options royally.
They'll say thank you very much and ask for more as we bend them over.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

I just can't see Essendon on the final day of trade period letting the deadline pass with Merrett still on their list. They just cannot allow it now, they have to trade him so we can just put 1 pick on the board and wait them out.

Problem is other clubs may look at making a move for him.

Zerrett will have to be traded one way or another, it's seemingly untenable after everything that's happened these last few days.

Essendon may see it as some kind of added incentive or win to deal him to another club, unless Zerrett makes it clear that he only wants to come to us.

 

[Mr Meeseeks]

Essendon have fumbled this so badly

Honestly, so has Merrett to be honest.

 

[Harper_Hawk]

Honestly, so has Merrett to be honest.

Maybe he just wants to get the hell away from that club and as far away from Brad Scott as possible and blowing up the place on the way out was the only way they’d leave him alone. How many times now has he tried to leave?

 

[chippie]

Problem is other clubs may look at making a move for him.

Zerrett will have to be traded one way or another, it's seemingly untenable after everything that's happened these last few days.

Essendon may see it as some kind of added incentive or win to deal him to another club, unless Zerrett makes it clear that he only wants to come to us.

That’s the only thing that concerns me in regards to him coming to us. It would be so Essendon to accept two seconds from someone like the Bulldogs just to screw us and Merrett over.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

Honestly, so has Merrett to be honest.

Not sure he's really done anything? He hasn't said anything publicly, yet.

Removing Essendon from parts of his Instagram profile was done after he has told the club that he wants to leave. The club can't pretend this is some bombshell, maybe some players can, but Scott and the Board would known where Zerrett's head was at.

I think the only side that has anything to gain out of leaking the story is Essendon, as:

• it creates a minor distraction for us in the lead up to a do-or-die final
• it creates public pressure on Zerrett
• helps direct the anger of the yokels away from the club, and the real reasons why it ever got to this point to begin with
• similar to the above point, it helps paint Zerrett and the Hawks as the bad guys, which makes his inevitable move easier to digest for the yokels

 

[hawkinoz]

That’s the only thing that concerns me in regards to him coming to us. It would be so Essendon to accept two seconds from someone like the Bulldogs just to screw us and Merrett over.

Imagine if all the other clubs are offering 2 seconds. All we should offer is 2 seconds + a fringe player they need.

Do you think HFC should be a generous and offer 2 first if other clubs are offering max 2 seconds?

 

[chippie]

Imagine if all the other clubs are offering 2 seconds. All we should offer is 2 seconds + a fringe player they need.

Do you think HFC should be a generous and offer 2 first if other clubs are offering max 2 seconds?

No, my point was just that they would take a lesser offer than ours to spite us

 

[Leather Poisoning]

I've convinced myself now that 2x firsts is insane. There's just never been a trade like it for a 30 year old, contracted or otherwise. And now that he literally can't return to the club what's their bargaining power?

 

[Hawkk]

TBF, it’s pretty funny that there is more activity in this thread than the game day thread less than 24 hours from a cut throat Semi Final.