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

[dank420_]

Can anyone explain how obtaining average picks in a weak draft is preferable to keeping our best player?

We’re keeping Nic Martin

 

[DERO]

Can anyone explain how obtaining average picks in a weak draft is preferable to keeping our best player?

This is pretty much it for me as well.

It’s not about emotion, or the coffee.

 

[Old Campaigner]

Can anyone explain how obtaining average picks in a weak draft is preferable to keeping our best player?

Because there's still talent to be had in shit drafts (no guarantees we get them of course), vs 20 or 40 more games out of Merrett which at absolute best bumps us a couple of spots up the ladder, and at worst damages our culture by keeping a disgruntled player on the list.

 

[thepokey]

Trade up to pick 1 or pick 2 and get a decent pick in the draft, move the rest into next year.

You'd hope we would have already gotten other clubs to agree to that before we accept the deal and hope that other clubs will play ball later.

 

[andleanback]

It's a realistic haul.

No it’s not, hawthorn have to give up something they don’t want to give up to make essendon go yep we will trade him. All the picks are average

 

[DERO]

We’re keeping Nic Martin

We could trade him too! Imagine what we’d get for him!

 

[Lore]

You'd hope we would have already gotten other clubs to agree to that before we accept the deal and hope that other clubs will play ball later.

Depending on who you listen to, we might already have done that. In any case we can do pick swaps from tomorrow until a couple of days before the draft and then more on draft night though, so it doesn't have to be done in the next hour

 

[BrunoV]

The consensus seems to be we're not getting a better deal than what is offered this year. He'll be a year older, have one less year of high level footy left in the tank and only one more year until clubs can get him for nothing. Plus any future first round picks offered would land in the Tassie drafts and would most likely be significantly worse than 2026.

And next year all we will hear about is how you need a pick in the top 5, becuase there is a clear top 5, just like there was in 2022, or some other reason that we can't do a deal with Hawthorn. All we ever hear about is the reason that deals can't get done.

How often does not trading a player out actually work?

Melbourne is haemmoraging Petracca and Oliver. We've done it previously with Daniher and Fantasia. The Dogs ended up losing Dunkley - I suppose you could say that he contributed to their run into a GF. Geelong lost Kelly (although it might have squeezed some additional value out of that deal).

 

[Lore]

And next year all we will hear about is how you need a pick in the top 5, becuase there is a clear top 5 just like there was in 2022, or some other reason that we can't do a deal with Hawthorn. All we ever hear about is the reason that deals can't get done.

How often does not trading a player out actually work?

Melbourne is haemmoraging Petracca and Oliver. We've done it previously with Daniher and Fantasia. The Dogs ended up losing Dunkley - I suppose you could say that he contributed to their run into a GF. Geelong lost Kelly (although it might have squeezed some additional value out of that deal).

Melbourne look like they're cauterising, rather than haemorrhaging

 

[thepokey]

No it’s not, hawthorn have to give up something they don’t want to give up to make essendon go yep we will trade him. All the picks are average

This is the thing, I'm not opposed to trading Merrett. But it's what is being offered that is unacceptable. Hawthorn should be giving up something that's a gamble to them. Right now it feels like they're giving up peanuts.

 

[dank420_]

We could trade him too! Imagine what we’d get for him!

12 picks

 

[bommer16]

I think the hardest trade ever for me was the fish. I couldn’t believe it. And to hawthorn as well.
I know we got good players from that deal but will be a shame that good history will not repeat with this player trade as in players back not picks with no idea who the club will land.

 

[Corleone]

Trade up to pick 1 or pick 2 and get a decent pick in the draft, move the rest into next year.

What guarantee do we have that west coast will do that? None.

If this bundle of trash could have secured Pick 1, hawthorn would have already done it.

 

[BrunoV]

Melbourne look like they're cauterising, rather than haemorrhaging

I suppose but they've lost a lot of blood.

 

[doug85]

This is the thing, I'm not opposed to trading Merrett. But it's what is being offered that is unacceptable. Hawthorn should be giving up something that's a gamble to them. Right now it feels like they're giving up peanuts.

How? If none of their players of any value want to move they can’t force them.

It’s almost the best offer they can make (save for a 2027 F1 thrown in).

 

[Lore]

What guarantee do we have that west coast will do that? None.

If this bundle of trash could have secured Pick 1, hawthorn would have already done it.

melt harder hey

 

[Lore]

I suppose but they've lost a lot of blood.

that's why they sacked their coach

 

[Mercurial89]

No it’s not, hawthorn have to give up something they don’t want to give up to make essendon go yep we will trade him. All the picks are average

What would you do?

You keep saying they are average picks. These picks are how you rebuild a team.
Or are we building our team on the out the door 30 year old ex captain?

 

[andleanback]

How? If none of their players of any value want to move they can’t force them.

It’s almost the best offer they can make (save for a 2027 F1 thrown in).

Well if we don’t want to move merrett you can’t force us

 

[Corleone]

Because there's still talent to be had in shit drafts (no guarantees we get them of course), vs 20 or 40 more games out of Merrett which at absolute best bumps us a couple of spots up the ladder, and at worst damages our culture by keeping a disgruntled player on the list.

What do you think the culture will look like if our President just folds at the drop of a hat? Welsh, Vozzo, Rosa and Scott’s positions will become untenable if they cave in now.

 

[thepokey]

How? If none of their players of any value want to move they can’t force them.

It’s almost the best offer they can make (save for a 2027 F1 thrown in).

Then we don't trade him and try again next year.

If I walk into a dealership and I'm like "sorry I'm $10k short on this car" they're not gonna go "nah don't worry about it, we'll take the best you can offer then". Hawthorn should have been made to chase up other clubs to improve their deal. And if they can't then give them another year to do it or another club to turn his head.

 

[Groundhog Day]

The Messiah mentality obviously extends to Zach and not just Hird etc. It’s a fair to good haul for a player who so clearly doesn’t want to be here and has most likely burnt all his bridges with the players. 6 x Essendon Best and Fairest is a bit like winning a Commonwealth Games Gold medal. Move him on, stop clinging to the past and get in the next batch.

 

[Old Campaigner]

Hold him to his contract and either change his mind over the course of next year or get a better deal next year - I believe that would be possible given more time for things to play out.

But doesn't even matter anymore. Lets just get him out the door for late first round picks in a nothing draft, who cares. But will easily be the most disappointed I've been with the club sings the saga.

I think the difference is simply peoples' assessment of the likelihood of changing his mind (very low imo) or getting a better deal next year (also low imo).

This isn't a player politely asking the question of a trade during an exit meeting, he's made a deliberate decision to leak damaging stories about the club to the media in an effort to make staying untenable. I think the odds of changing the mind of someone acting with that sort of conviction is very low.

I don't get the sense that anyone in the industry thinks there's any chance of a better deal next year. His manager raised that in an interview and the club has acknowledged it too. Future picks will be in a draft known to be compromised by Tassie on top of that. It just seems like a really low percentage play to hold out for that.

 

[DERO]

12 picks

We should try to hold out for 13 I reckon.

 

[thepokey]

I think the difference is simply peoples' assessment of the likelihood of changing his mind (very low imo) or getting a better deal next year (also low imo).

This isn't a player politely asking the question of a trade during an exit meeting, he's made a deliberate decision to leak damaging stories about the club to the media in an effort to make staying untenable. I think the odds of changing the mind of someone acting with that sort of conviction is very low.

I don't get the sense that anyone in the industry thinks there's any chance of a better deal next year. His manager raised that in an interview and the club has acknowledged it too. Future picks will be in a draft known to be compromised by Tassie on top of that. It just seems like a really low percentage play to hold out for that.

His manager is a weasel who will say anything he can to get what his client wants