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

[Old Campaigner]

Barretts obsession with Barham is WILD. Every single time he talks about Essendon he mentions Barham. Reckon Barham might've fired him or refused to hire him in the past given Barhams background in the media

I’d love to know the backstory to this

 

[Petrify]

I’d love to know the backstory to this

Nothing on their CV's crosses paths directly, but Barham being head of sports at channel 10 while Damo was at 9 means the odds of them crossing paths before the essendon job is extremely high

 

[nipst@r]

We are probably being precious, yes...but what do you mean "sack manager"? (Zach asked Petroro to do this, he's not backing out now).

I would love to see this salvaged, but that's largely up to Zach. The club have tried to mend this.

Change of manager. Has been handled terribly by management but guess if single goal of getting to hawthorn is the measure of success. Maybe not? Just dont think he needed to be slight handed, the manger seems to be advicing merret to trash his legacy and reputation to do so.

Extremely unlikely but merret could say after a extremely frustrating few years I explored a move to hawthorn. As whilst i love the club the timeline for success did not appear aligned with my own. My managemt and i could have handled this exploration better. However, After time away to think I have decided to stay and extend my contract at essendon. I remain committed to remaining a one club players and obtaining success at the club i love. I also wish to inform that I have changed management groups. Look forward to working with exciting group of youngsters to fast track this.

Think can only be salvageable with throwing manager under the bus and admitting merret personally should have handled exploring a trade better.

Plenty of captains have explored trades or enquired what another club could offer.

 

[Old Campaigner]

Nothing on their CV's crosses paths directly, but Barham being head of sports at channel 10 while Damo was at 9 means the odds of them crossing paths before the essendon job is extremely high

For sure, I’d just be interested in knowing what was said between them. Maybe Barrett wanted a job at 10 and Barham told him they wanted a journalist

 

[Phone]

Barham's reign started with a chaotic and botched coaching chase, a botched CEO hire and now three years later we've still won no finals and the captain is leaving in a chaotic and botched fashion. reality is, Barham's got questions to answer

I don't think Barham leaving is the answer, but equally it would be weird if people didn't question him

 

[DERO]

Are we being a bit precious here?

No issue with original response but need to take the emotion and constant commentary out of it. No more players/club statements/ leaks back and forth.

For context captains rumoured/likely on the move

Allen
Simpkon
Steele
Merret

*neale

Yes merret is different as a club legend and clearly our best player but let's be a bit more pragmatic and work through it. I think response should be yep i think merrets 1 of 5 captains rumoured to be moving, its a different workd these days but he is contracted and not trading but we will work through it. Not only club in this situation.

Curnow and Petracca also rumoured moving as arguably their clubs best players. Well cripps is better but curnows 2nd.

Silly season is here and we need a measured pragmatic approach. If not salvageable.

2 x 1sts plus husthwaite and we move on. I think we need to chat to merret and says it's salvageable (sack manager and extend) and if not you dont need to completely ruin your legacy with the leaks. Just bring some calm attend the bnf and we will explore it during trade period.

no one cares about St Kilda, West Coast or North!

 

[Phone]

Are we being a bit precious here?

No issue with original response but need to take the emotion and constant commentary out of it. No more players/club statements/ leaks back and forth.

For context captains rumoured/likely on the move

Allen
Simpkon
Steele
Merret

*neale

Yes merret is different as a club legend and clearly our best player but let's be a bit more pragmatic and work through it. I think response should be yep i think merrets 1 of 5 captains rumoured to be moving, its a different workd these days but he is contracted and not trading but we will work through it. Not only club in this situation.

Curnow and Petracca also rumoured moving as arguably their clubs best players. Well cripps is better but curnows 2nd.

Silly season is here and we need a measured pragmatic approach. If not salvageable.

2 x 1sts plus husthwaite and we move on. I think we need to chat to merret and says it's salvageable (sack manager and extend) and if not you dont need to completely ruin your legacy with the leaks. Just bring some calm attend the bnf and we will explore it during trade period.

those clubs don't really want their captain to stay there, or don't care about keeping them happy (see: Steele being a sub, Simpkin not being in the mid). It's a little bit different to our scenario

 

[DallasCrane316]

BARRETT: Merrett must go after schoolyard fight with Dons turns nasty

The immature behaviour on display in Zach Merrett's dust-up with Essendon has pushed the relationship past the point of no return, writes Damian Barrett

www.afl.com.au

Barrett doing Barrett things. But then he lays the blame at Merrett's feet

Interesting that he somewhat insinuated that Merrett’s camp leaked the Redman story.

 

[nipst@r]

Interesting that he somewhat insinuated that Merrett’s camp leaked the Redman story.

You think merrets approach is by the end supporters, teammates and the club dont even care if he goes.

Also if purely success related adelaide should be a club merret is open to? Finished top lacking mids.

If merret goes to hawks i hope they dont win a flag or get day right and butters and merret isn't even a starting mid.

 

[Howard Moon]

I still notice we are bring pillaried, yet nobody wants to comment that Mitchell when asked by media, bald face lied about being at the Merrett meeting , only for him to admit it days later.

No one cares to hold such things to account?

 

[brutus76]

Damian Barrett would have been last picked at lunchtime hence he thinks his opinion is the be all and end all and he's the smartest of the smart

 

[EnolaGay]

I still notice we are bring pillaried, yet nobody wants to comment that Mitchell when asked by media, bald face lied about being at the Merrett meeting , only for him to admit it days later.

No one cares to hold such things to account?

Come on Howard, who's going to challenge the APEX PREDATOR?

 

[Lore]

Come on Howard, who's going to challenge the APEX PREDATOR?

Wolf of Wall Street selling penny dreadful stocks as if they were Willy Wonka's chocolate factory

 

[Howard Moon]

Come on Howard, who's going to challenge the APEX PREDATOR?

He's not a SIGMA?

 

[Jobe Watson]

None of the current mudslinging will change what happens. Merrett was never coming back, we already knew this. Hawthorn will offer pick 8, we'll ask for pick 8 + future pick + a best 22 player, a deal will get worked out for pick 8 + a future pick and/or fringe player, and Merrett will become a Hawthorn player and an Essendon pariah.

 

[BrunoV]

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

What's this about leaking stories about disrespecting AFLW players?

 

[thebigboy]

Could almost guarantee we’re gunna get the standard “rumours of board challenges” articles in the next week. About the only thing left on the journos bingo cards

 

[SydneyBomber]

For sure, I’d just be interested in knowing what was said between them. Maybe Barrett wanted a job at 10 and Barham told him they wanted a journalist human

Ftfy.
Damo is pondscum, a garbage bloke

 

[DERO]

Ftfy.
Damo is pondscum, a garbage bloke

Yet here we are hanging on his every word.

 

[nipst@r]

Could almost guarantee we’re gunna get the standard “rumours of board challenges” articles in the next week. About the only thing left on the journos bingo cards

A sheedy qoute and hird back rumours.

 

[Howard Moon]

What's this about leaking stories about disrespecting AFLW players?

Not heard that one

 

[DallasCrane316]

Not heard that one

Caro said it on the Agenda Setters last night.

Didn’t go into detail and just mentioned the AFLW team training and Merrett getting in the way kicking the footy on the same ground.

 

[Howard Moon]

So if we are talking picks and players, where do we stand? (Realistic players)

Dont mind McKenzie but he runs like Sam Mitchell , can't have on that alone

Reckon Ramsden is about ready to pop, wouldn't mind him, he'd be in my mix

Hustwaite will probably be free soon anyway, no need to add to the mix

CJ might add a bit of spark off hb

Had a nibble at Finn last year but he's hardley kicked on since

Dont mind Butler too

D'Ambrosio looks like a decent kick, wonder if he's available

 

[wiltho]

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

Petroro leaked the meeting. Zach has made his position untenable. You need only listen to Gerard Healy and Kane just now on SEN saying how good the Essendon response has been...everything Melbourne didn't do last year with Petracca.

 

[Phone]

Caro said it on the Agenda Setters last night.

Didn’t go into detail and just mentioned the AFLW team training and Merrett getting in the way kicking the footy on the same ground.

It was more Wilson told the world that Essendon were trying to background some stories about Merrett and referenced the AFLW without going further. Kane then flushed it out (and then Wilson said that the story isn't unique to just Merrett or Essendon). The point Wilson was making was more that Essendon are perfectly happy trying to get dirty here too rather than an actual story about Merrett/AFLW imo.