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.

 

[smeltitdeltit]

By far the dumbest takes are that “Hawthorn should have ponied up” and handed over 4x first round picks and a future 2nd.

It’s an utterly ridiculous trade request, and I’m happy Rob McCartney called it for what it was.

This x1000.
The same morons sprouting this rubbish would be the first to say how we were screwed over or were incredibly irresponsible had we done the deal.

 

[Paul Kersey]

All have their head on the sand and can't see it for what it is. They honestly believe Merrett is worth more than Petracca and Curnow because I raised both those trades and said what makes Merrett worth 4 first round picks and the others werent? Some feeble response about it not being relevant to Merrett. In other words we hate Hawthorn and don't want to see them win another flag. Pathetic stuff really

Pretending they think you can send a contracted player against their will to Essendon (‘see what Sydney did with Hayward’) and then denying they were more difficult than usual because it was Hawthorn.

 

[stevehawkington]

The AFL needs to show some leadership and limit contracts to 5 years or so. The Buddy FA deal has created a very negative phenomenon of desperate clubs doing stupid things, and players then causing headaches for everyone as a consequence.

That won't happen, long contracts are a wow factor in the game. It's up to clubs to asses risk and reward on their own.
Buddy going to Sydney was good for the afl, but hurt their forward stocks for a time.
Gotta let the free market go.. say no to communism

 

[Ashman23]

If players have a performance clause in their contract, their agents should now be pushing for a performance clause by the club added.

Zach re-signed with the bombers on the basis of a vision and a plan. The plan wasn't executed or went poorly.

 

[badgrill]

Not that anyone needed any more proof, but have a listen to each of the interviews conducted this morning which are available on the AFL website with the Essendon CEO and Rob McCartney.

'Ridiculous, unusual, strong': What your club said after the trade period

Hear from all 18 clubs after the final day of the 2025 Continental Tyres AFL Trade Period

www.afl.com.au

The difference in professionalism is stark.

And they are still yet to speak to Zach. The Hawks were in contact last night and again today.

notice it wasn't Rosa, though - it was their ****ing CEO

 

[CaptainWorpedo]

It speaks volumes that Zach and TP have yet to say anything. Even to essendon it seems because no doubt they'd be saying 'we've spoken to zach / his management etc'.

No doubt when they do speak it will be measured and professional, but I think we can take the silence to date as extreme disappointment and frustration with the outcome yesterday. He has no real option but to suck it up but I bet he is ropeable.

I have no inside info…. However I feel watching Merrett at the bombers B&F he came across extremely tired and over it. Merrett has carried them for years on end!

It would not surprise me at all if he sat out of the game or at least away from the bombers for a few months for a mental health break.

Bombers think they’re tough, but they have had little concern for their players welfare.

 

[Dazza the Viking]

Horrendous and selective take

Let’s face it Merrett and Humphrey were never going to be traded by there clubs, they were adamant all the way through

Reid elected to stay, with the cash he was going to be on, which we were never going to pay, don’t blame him at his age to stay

Petracca no thanks especially financial wise

Oliver can barely hit a target by foot, that’s why we happily didn’t match the Cats offer for Worpel

Butters leaves PA to get back to Victoria it will be a team who will pay him an exorbitant amount of money which unlikely will be us, but you never know

Walsh is a RFA next season

Don’t need Allen

 

[Ashman23]

Oh and before I forget.

I'd like to get #clapforzach going for round one next year.

Imagine the media and Scum supporters when we clap and cheer for Zach when he's shown on the screens at the G, or gets the ball.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Just spitballing. I come in peace.

Our 16 and F1 for 10 and 22.

Thoughts?

We’d do that.

 

[stevehawkington]

Last line in the sand moment led to 4 flags for us. Thanks James.

James needs to know former essendon players can't draw the line in the sand while their current captain cries in the corner for not being allowed to leave.

 

[seysearles]

 

[TylerDurden]

Didnt T Watson say that Zach would go back to the club with open arms and be 100% committed??

Lloyd didn't seem to think so.

 

[Bedi]

Let’s face it Merrett and Humphrey were never going to be traded by there clubs, they were adamant all the way through

Reid elected to stay, with the cash he was going to be on, which we were never going to pay, don’t blame him at his age to stay

Petracca no thanks especially financial wise

Oliver can barely hit a target by foot, that’s why we happily didn’t match the Cats offer for Worpel

Butters leaves PA to get back to Victoria it will be a team who will pay him an exorbitant amount of money which unlikely will be us, but you never know

Walsh is a RFA next season

Don’t need Allen

Cody Anderson will be a bull for us in the midfield, so hopefully he'll come good 2027 too. And with a strong preseason, maybe even a pleasant surprise next year.

 

[Faithful Hawk]

If that was Mark McKenzie and Gowers had come over the top, I would be expecting MM's resignation notice within 24 hours. Embarassing from a supposed professional organisation.

I’d want them both gone TBH as paying Members it’s not too much expect professionalism from all areas. Essendon Members who are not happy with this current situation and the last 20yrs need to stand up and force change, personally hoping they stay silent and let the horror show continue.

 

[StackedHunch]

That won't happen, long contracts are a wow factor in the game. It's up to clubs to asses risk and reward on their own.
Buddy going to Sydney was good for the afl, but hurt their forward stocks for a time.
Gotta let the free market go.. say no to communism

This is not a free market in the slightest. There are rules to protect clubs from trading away the next 5 years' draft hand, so there can also be rules to stop idiotic arms races by dimwitted list managers.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

Cody Anderson will be a bull for us in the midfield, so hopefully he'll come good 2027 too. And with a strong preseason, maybe even a pleasant surprise next year.

Bit of a forgotten man. But he is a long-way back and has a lot of developing to do. Hopefully he has a great preseason.

 

[hawkmang]

I’m looking on the bright side here….

Cam, Butsy, Henry, Cody there’s a nice shiny starting 22 midfield role in a team fresh off a prelim waiting for one of you there - who wants it most?

That’s a very decent carrot to dangle over pre season, hopefully the arms race between the young lads gets them all primed and firing to 1) get that spot over the other young lads and 2) start to put pressure on Nashy and Ward for the other spots

 

[Bedi]

Didnt T Watson say that Zach would go back to the club with open arms and be 100% committed??

Lloyd didn't seem to think so.

Doesn't have much choice unfortunately. We took Buckenara to court end of 1986 to get him to stay and didn't entertain leaving again. Only minor difference is Bucky kicked the winning goal in a prelim next year, was a two-time premiership player in a side that had played 5 grand finals in a row (soon to be 7), while Essendon havent won a final in 20 years

 

[Bedi]

Bit of a forgotten man. But he is a long-way back and has a lot of developing to do. Hopefully he has a great preseason.

I agree a long way to go, and really needs to improve his kicking but he's a tackling machine so i like the cut of his jib

 

[Mercy Seat]

So Essendon are getting their narrative about the way we supposedly went about things into the media, and that seems to be what all the articles are adopting.

Hope that opens us up to tell everyone exactly what happened.

 

[unitedhawk2]

Go look at his CV. He was top 5 in the league at one stage. He will dominate next year, purely with having a chip on his shoulder. Fair enough about Trac.

Anyway, I actually don't care that much. Quite happy to give guys like Mackenzie and Hustwaite a go and with a fit Will Day back, we should be right.

I'd suggest you go look at how Clarry has been playing for the last couple of years because that's far more relevant.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

So Essendon are getting their narrative about the way we supposedly went about things into the media, and that seems to be what all the articles are adopting.

Hope that opens us up to tell everyone exactly what happened.

It would be very disappointing if we don't correct the narrative. We have every right to.

 

[stevehawkington]

This is not a free market in the slightest. There are rules to protect clubs from trading away the next 5 years' draft hand, so there can also be rules to stop idiotic arms races by dimwitted list managers.

That's crazy though, whose gonna trade 5 years worth of draft hands. At least make it so if you do, no handouts for 15 years

 

[Fulgent]

I understand a contending club refusing to trade a good player, especially to a rival. But for a rebuilding club to do so is unusual. I think the error we made was expecting Essendon to act logically. And they still don't seem to understand it's next to impossible to get a starting 22 player at a contending club to willingly go to a rebuilding club. Typically, rebuilding clubs only get players starved of opportunity or older players looking for a cash hit before retirement.

I'd have liked Merrett but I wasn't thrilled with the price being asked (that seemed to keep increasing), so I'm not too disappointed we get to keep our picks.

 

[CHUBBSS]

Cody Anderson will be a bull for us in the midfield, so hopefully he'll come good 2027 too. And with a strong preseason, maybe even a pleasant surprise next year.

Must bring in Stanley!