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

[HirdsTheWord]

Part of me is ok with that too but I think this position will put the club back further.

We tried to keep Daniher and it was a disaster we didn't recover from for a year or two. Look at the Dees too, in hindsight should have let Petracca and Oliver go last year. They wasted so much energy to keep for nothing.

If the offer is reasonable, and Hawks know it will need to be, let him go.

Listening to his speech last night it is clear he is done with the club. No point plolonging the inevitable IMO.

I massively disagree

You are falling for the exact strategy Zach and hawthorn want. That’s why his meeting with Mitchell was leaked.

They want you to feel that way so they get him cheap.

You do not let your best player and captain leave unless you make them bleed for it.

I am have zero issues with Zach leaving but it needs to be on our terms, not others.

 

[MiguelM]

I massively disagree

You are falling for the exact strategy Zach and hawthorn want. That’s why his meeting with Mitchell was leaked.

They want you to feel that way so they get him cheap.

You do not let your best player and captain leave unless you make them bleed for it.

I am have zero issues with Zach leaving but it needs to be on our terms, not others.

It is a tough one. I am all for keeping him if the price ISN'T right.

Hopefully the club is strong here.

Agreed, he is our best player by a mile, can't see him as captain even if we keep him though.

Give us pick 8 and Meek and I am sold!

 

[HirdsTheWord]

It is a tough one. I am all for keeping him if the price ISN'T right.

Hopefully the club is strong here.

Agreed, he is our best player by a mile, can't see him as captain even if we keep him though.

Give us pick 8 and Meek and I am sold!

They will pay up if the want him, they won’t if they dont

I want pick 8 plus McKenzie

 

[MiguelM]

They will pay up if the want him, they won’t if they dont

I want pick 8 plus McKenzie

In the end I would keep him, even if he sooks it up, if the price is too low though that can have issues, eg Daniher.

Regardless of Hawks fanboi's opinions, we hold the cards if we want to send a strong message. Lets see how much they want him hey.

I will be bitterly disappointed if we cave for unders.

 

[Unfazed]

Is there a deadline for Zach to nominate for trade?

I think he's got until end of trade period but realistically there has to be enough time for the clubs to arrange a trade . FWIW Morris said he will announce 48-72 hours after the Crichton

They will pay up if the want him, they won’t if they dont

I want pick 8 plus McKenzie

I want pick 8 F1 and Mackenzie

 

[HirdsTheWord]

I think he's got

I want pick 8 F1 and Mackenzie

I want the 2000 premiership team back

But we need to be realistic.

8 + f1 + McKenzie won’t happen, and if it does Rosa deserves a 100% bonus

 

[ant555]

I massively disagree

You are falling for the exact strategy Zach and hawthorn want. That’s why his meeting with Mitchell was leaked.

They want you to feel that way so they get him cheap.

You do not let your best player and captain leave unless you make them bleed for it.

I am have zero issues with Zach leaving but it needs to be on our terms, not others.

100%. The value of the deal can be argued but it has to have a future first and a decent enough young player at a minimum.

 

[ant555]

It is a tough one. I am all for keeping him if the price ISN'T right.

Hopefully the club is strong here.

Agreed, he is our best player by a mile, can't see him as captain even if we keep him though.

Give us pick 8 and Meek and I am sold!

List spots are already tight this year.

 

[Vindicater]

Do we think North get involved with Duursma coming back to us.

#8, Future first and Duursma for Merrett plus a future second.

Hawks get Merrett for #8, a future first and Serong

North get Serong and a future second (Essendon)

 

[MPMonkeys]

Part of me is ok with that too but I think this position will put the club back further.

We tried to keep Daniher and it was a disaster we didn't recover from for a year or two. Look at the Dees too, in hindsight should have let Petracca and Oliver go last year. They wasted so much energy to keep for nothing.

If the offer is reasonable, and Hawks know it will need to be, let him go.

Listening to his speech last night it is clear he is done with the club. No point plolonging the inevitable IMO.

'Massive disaster' is overkill. Essendon wanted Sydney's pick 5. Sydney would not give that up. They offered pick 9 if the Papley to Carlton deal went through. It didn't.
I'm not sure what you would have expected the club to do in that situation. Trade Daniher (under contract) for a 2nd round pick???

 

[ant555]

Do we think North get involved with Duursma coming back to us.

#8, Future first and Duursma for Merrett plus a future second.

Hawks get Merrett for #8, a future first and Serong

North get Serong and a future second (Essendon)

Would be closer although I do not see North being happy.

 

[eth-dog]

Do we think North get involved with Duursma coming back to us.

#8, Future first and Duursma for Merrett plus a future second.

Hawks get Merrett for #8, a future first and Serong

North get Serong and a future second (Essendon)

If we get North involved I think we try for:

Ess in: F1 x2, Duursma
Ess out: Merrett, F2

Haw in: Merrett, F3
Haw out: 8, F1, Serong

NM in: Serong, 8, F2
NM out: F1, Duursma, F3

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

If we get North involved I think we try for:

Ess in: F1 x2, Duursma
Ess out: Merrett, F2

Haw in: Merrett, F3
Haw out: 8, F1, Serong

NM in: Serong, 8, F2
NM out: F1, Duursma, F3

Great for us but I wouldn’t want to be us to be in North or Hawks shoes.

 

[MiguelM]

'Massive disaster' is overkill. Essendon wanted Sydney's pick 5. Sydney would not give that up. They offered pick 9 if the Papley to Carlton deal went through. It didn't.
I'm not sure what you would have expected the club to do in that situation. Trade Daniher (under contract) for a 2nd round pick???

Was talking more of team morale.

He didn't want to be here and it reflected on the team IMO.

 

[doug85]

Broken clock

 

[MPMonkeys]

Was talking more of team morale.

He didn't want to be here and it reflected on the team IMO.

He was injured most of the year and the team spent most of its time in Queensland due to Covid.

 

[Vindicater]

If we get North involved I think we try for:

Ess in: F1 x2, Duursma
Ess out: Merrett, F2

Haw in: Merrett, F3
Haw out: 8, F1, Serong

NM in: Serong, 8, F2
NM out: F1, Duursma, F3

That would be great for us I reckon.

 

[yodellinhank]

Broken clock
View attachment 2445984

Good when it comes to words? He has to be taking the piss. He just has to be.

 

[HirdsTheWord]

Broken clock
View attachment 2445984

That’s a hitting the word count article if I have ever seen one

 

[HirdsTheWord]

Good when it comes to words? He has to be taking the piss. He just has to be.

You missed the “Not as”

Still a very nothing piece of journalism regardless

 

[Doss]

He was injured most of the year and the team spent most of its time in Queensland due to Covid.

‘injured’

A real good case of checkedoutitis, Joe that year.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

We tried to keep Daniher and it was a disaster we didn't recover from for a year or two. Look at the Dees too, in hindsight should have let Petracca and Oliver go last year. They wasted so much energy to keep for nothing.

TBF (and I try hard not to be fair to Essendon because they generally don't deserve it), the Daniher situation was very difficult.

He was a 25yo key forward that the entire team and list build had been centred around. He came to the club VERY late in the piece, without warning, and said he wanted a trade. His future was unclear due to injury issues - who knows how he might've felt if he'd played a big year for us in 2020.

Trading him to Sydney basically required the club to totally flip on their list strategy in a relative instant.

It was always mentioned as two first picks from Sydney, but I don't think it even got to the stage where they made an offer.

In the end it cost us a single first round pick to hold him and honestly, I don't look back at that a huge loss. It was a massive ask to trade him.

Every situation is different.

 

[ant555]

Still think Zach stays and his comments in his speech where more about mending bridges with some players than negotiating a release.

 

[BomberFan355]

Still think Zach stays and his comments in his speech where more about mending bridges with some players than negotiating a release.

I didn’t get that vibe but it’s interesting how differently it can be read.

 

[YEMOC NAYR]

Still think Zach stays and his comments in his speech where more about mending bridges with some players than negotiating a release.

I didn't see it that way at all, felt like he used his speech as a public request for trade