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

[Lore]

There we go, that's the clip:

 

[Dewyyyyy]

Essendons been millions under the sallary cap since 2020 and Daniher leaving and have been frontloading everyone. They’ve had something like 3M in cap room the past few years. Likely have something similar this season

Yeah interesting.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Take a look at Richmond the past few years, we don't stand in the way of players we are okay with losing and we built a pretty good reputation over the years. When our senior guys wanted to move on last year we ended up doing excellent deals for all of them. Right now Hawks look ruthless in their pursuit of success. Bombers look weak and like Merrett wanting to leave is symptomatic of some bigger issues and like the rebuild is too far away from being completed for him to see any success.

You senior players that left are premiership stars of course you let them go when clubs were willing to pay overs.

We don't have that luxury

 

[Elixuh]

Yeah that could work, but that player is going to be one I mentioned.

I still think it’s dumb, I think that’s what they’ll ask but it may be a tad less. Don’t get people who say picks fall back tho..

Bigfooty is also ground zero of overvaluing the worth of picks. I’d give up 8 and f1 plus a steak knives for ZM.

Essendon could draft the next Simon black with the f1 but they could also draft someone who plays zero games.

 

[jdstorm]

You can't be millions under when you need to pay 95% each year

Start summer 3M under. No free agents join. Pay your current list 3M in advance (frontload) then the next year you start that amount under the cap again. Rising cap also helps as most Ess players don’t have cap tied contracts

 

[jdstorm]

You can't be millions under when you need to pay 95% each year

Start summer 3M under. No free agents join. Pay your current list 3M in advance (frontload) then the next year you start that amount under the cap again. Rising cap also helps as most Ess players don’t have cap tied contracts

 

[Lore]

What was he on and who the hell are Essendon paying?

I don't know what he was on before. As to who we've been paying, well all the people that we've lost recently. Shiel for one. Draper. Last year was Stringer, Heppell. That money would've been redirected to those that re-signed, like Parish Langford Redman and McGrath, but also the free agency pitches to McKay and Gresham. We know McKay was front loaded as it was published in the paper a while ago.

I'd suggest our 2026 salary cap has a giant hole in it though. Unless someone was back-ended, which is unlikely. We're going from a cap of 14.9m in 2023 to 15.6m last year, 17.6m this year, 18.1m next year, no ratchet clauses, and senior players leaving. Probably a lot of the players that got re-signed in the middle of 2024 would've had pay increases as part of that, but even with all that done we went into the free agency period last year with a reported $2m war chest.

 

[Dewyyyyy]

Bigfooty is also ground zero of overvaluing the worth of picks. I’d give up 8 and f1 plus a steak knives for ZM.

Essendon could draft the next Simon black with the f1 but they could also draft someone who plays zero games.

I think it’s more about hawthorns list process.

Hawthorn would want to continue ticking over the list with youth, and not just going all in. Getting him in whilst also maintaining a decent draft hand to still get good talent though the doors is crucial.

 

[Leather Poisoning]

I don't know what he was on before. As to who we've been paying, well all the people that we've lost recently. Shiel for one. Draper. Last year was Stringer, Heppell. That money would've been redirected to those that re-signed, like Parish Langford Redman and McGrath, but also the free agency pitches to McKay and Gresham. We know McKay was front loaded as it was published in the paper a while ago.

I'd suggest our 2026 salary cap has a giant hole in it though. Unless someone was back-ended, which is unlikely. We're going from a cap of 14.9m in 2023 to 15.6m last year, 17.6m this year, 18.1m next year, no ratchet clauses, and senior players leaving. Probably a lot of the players that got re-signed in the middle of 2024 would've had pay increases as part of that, but even with all that done we went into the free agency period last year with a reported $2m war chest.

What did I miss? What happened to Shiel?

 

[triple treat]

Apparently the new offer is 1.2 mil to stay

Hilarious that he wants out that badly they’re throwing money at him to stay.

Let it go

Absolutely hilarious, who is running the show there Homer Simpson? So 2 off there leaders come out and tell the world how disappointed and hurt they are, and the Dons turn around and offer him a pay rise!
This just needs some Benny Hill music.

 

[Lore]

What did I miss? What happened to Shiel?

His contract ended and he and the club mutually agreed to part ways. Dunno where he'll go yet but presumably he's shopping for a job.

 

[Hawkk]

What an awful take. ‘I haven’t spoken to Zac, so I have no idea if he is open to a trade…but Hawthorn and Essendon hate each other so much, so that’s not an option.’



Thats despite the fact that the Crom are a far less desirable club, are in a different state and have far less trade and draft assets. Honestly how did she keep her gig in papers for 30 years?

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Could this all be part of Matt Rosa's masterplan?

Yeah wouldn't surprise me Meret did have a sook to the coach when we tried to off load Stringer and Laverde last year. Nick Hind was also besties with Merret.

Could be similar to the rat pack the Pies had all those years ago once they cleared them out the Pies became succesful again

 

[jdstorm]

I think it’s more about hawthorns list process.

Hawthorn would want to continue ticking over the list with youth, and not just going all in. Getting him in whilst also maintaining a decent draft hand to still get good talent though the doors is crucial.

See this doesn’t make sense to me, once a team has their core stars in place and a good development system. It’s easy enough to find role players around the margains.

What did I miss? What happened to Shiel?

His 1M per year contract expired and he’s looking for other opportunities

 

[Leather Poisoning]

His contract ended and he and the club mutually agreed to part ways. Dunno where he'll go yet but presumably he's shopping for a job.

That all sounds a bit odd.

Was he pushed or is he jumping?
Presumably he was told he's not worth a million dollars per year anymore.

 

[Lore]

That all sounds a bit odd.

Was he pushed or is he jumping?
Presumably he was told he's not worth a million dollars per year anymore.

Mutually agreed. The club is going with a younger demographic, he's barely played midfield for a couple of years now while the kids have been getting minutes in there. We were going to facilitate a trade for him last year but it didn't really go anywhere so he stayed (would've been St Kilda I think). I'm not 100% sure but I think something similar happened perhaps the year before?

 

[Mop]

Who's getting all the salary down there?

It can't all be going to Mackay and Gresham can it?

That is a wonderful question. It could all be posturing for all we know.

 

[Elixuh]

That all sounds a bit odd.

Was he pushed or is he jumping?
Presumably he was told he's not worth a million dollars per year anymore.

Did you watch any Essendon games this year? If I’m an Essendon fan I’d want a kid developing over him. He had the odd good game but is well last it. So not really odd at all.

 

[Leather Poisoning]

Did you watch any Essendon games this year? If I’m an Essendon fan I’d want a kid developing over him. He had the odd good game but is well last it. So not really odd at all.

Oh yeh he's dropped off a cliff, but it surprises me that not having him aroudn at all is considered the better option.

The guy lived through the GWS build and the post drug Essendon rebuild. You'd think he'd be a good guiding hand.

 

[Hawkk]

Nice little bitter drive-by from James Hird at the end there…

 

[Lore]

Did you watch any Essendon games this year? If I’m an Essendon fan I’d want a kid developing over him. He had the odd good game but is well last it. So not really odd at all.

He only played this year when we had injuries, and only in the midfield after the injuries started hitting the mids as well. First half of the year all the injuries were over 190cm so he was the sub when he played at all

 

[Dewyyyyy]

See this doesn’t make sense to me, once a team has their core stars in place and a good development system. It’s easy enough to find role players around the margains.




His 1M per year contract expired and he’s looking for other opportunities

It’s about turning the list over so once the core group of players ages out, the new replacements and new core members are at a high elite level and you can continue turning the list over. If you just focus on now, top ups etc that’s where it leads down a cliff.

 

[Elixuh]

Nice little bitter drive-by from James Hird at the end there…

It’d be hilarious if he backflipped and took the money. Every year just getting more and more extreme tactics to Hoover up some more cash Tom14

 

[Leather Poisoning]

It’d be hilarious if he backflipped and took the money. Every year just getting more and more extreme tactics to Hoover up some more cash Tom14

I would definitely chuckle at this

 

[jdstorm]

It’s about turning the list over so once the core group of players ages out, the new replacements and new core members are at a high elite level and you can continue turning the list over. If you just focus on now, top ups etc that’s where it leads down a cliff.

see this is where you loose me. Being continually sustaining is a nice dream but in practice good teams don’t get enough high pics to self sustain.

Only way to do it is via FA or academy players.

 

[Tom14]

It’d be hilarious if he backflipped and took the money. Every year just getting more and more extreme tactics to Hoover up some more cash Tom14