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

[doug85]

So if the rumored five year deal Merrett was getting from the Hawks was correct it would have been about $200 000 worth of commission. Not bad money.

I can’t be bothered explaining this

 

[dank420_]

Can we please take the indefatigable outta the title thanks.

Change it to SHITHEAD imo

 

[dank420_]

So if the rumored five year deal Merrett was getting from the Hawks was correct it would have been about $200 000 worth of commission. Not bad money.

Moneybags doug85 can spend that in a weekend

 

[P Money]

So if the rumored five year deal Merrett was getting from the Hawks was correct it would have been about $200 000 worth of commission. Not bad money.

To be fair he's getting the commission on Merrett's contract at the bombers so not sure there'd be much difference.

 

[Vindicater]

To be fair he's getting the commission on Merrett's contract at the bombers so not sure there'd be much difference.

The difference is made up of the rewriting of Merrets contract due to being traded.

Merretts next two years he will be underpaid as it was front loaded. At the Hawks he would get that bumped up and another three years added on top at good money.

If he stays with us for another two years he will likely not get anywhere near the same type of deal for those three years as an older free agent.

 

[P Money]

The difference is made up of the rewriting of Merrets contract due to being traded.

Merretts next two years he will be underpaid as it was front loaded. At the Hawks he would get that bumped up and another three years added on top at good money.

If he stays with us for another two years he will likely not get anywhere near the same type of deal for those three years as an older free agent.

Potentially. But I'd guess with Essendon's salary cap position in comparison to the Hawks', plus the fact that he would have remained captain and by far Essendon's best player, he would earn more over the entire remainder of his career with the Bombers than the Hawks.

 

[astrowizzle]

Why does he want the extra money. To put into the shirtttest looking clothing line in the planet

 

[I Remember Bluey]

Can we please take the indefatigable outta the title thanks.

Na it stays, he needs it to put up with the likes of you

 

[Burzum]

Why does he want the extra money. To put into the shirtttest looking clothing line in the planet

Because top players in the league have a a small period of their life to earn incredible money that they likely won't be to earn once their careers are over.

 

[crackers65]

Let’s not forget that his contract was front loaded. Total value of the contract and average yearly total is what counts. This means he has already been partly paid for next two years. It’s ok for him to take the money early from a contract that was what he signed but you can’t then say you’re getting less for last two years. You can’t have your cake and eat it too.

 

[TheFrenchCut]

Kinda funny to think about him being on less money next year considering the club went to him and offered him a big pay rise (again) to not continue pursuing a move to Hawthorn.

And he of course, turned that down.

 

[Phone]

It was the way it was done. People would not have had as much issue if it was all up front. Nearly everyone understands it was Zach wanting to leave and understood the reasons. It was simply a very poor strategy that created a bigger media frenzy than it should have despite it being big news. Pretoro was doing his job. Yes it was Zach's decision but it was a circus.

i think essendon fans would have had an issue with merrett trying to quit the club to join the hawks no matter what.

 

[ant555]

i think essendon fans would have had an issue with merrett trying to quit the club to join the hawks no matter what.

"as much of an issue"

 

[Phone]

the fan reaction when lose by 12 goals instead of losing by 15 goals is slightly different but as a whole it's still in the "very mad" area. that's what it would have been if merrett quit the club to join the hawks but his manager was a sweet boy about the whole thing - still very mad.

most people didn't want to see merrett go. we saw that during the season when a few people mentioned it as a possibility and something that might be a good thing for the club. it would have been a huge issue no matter what, because Zach tried to quit and he tried to join the Hawks

 

[Dropkick99]

The off-season was handedly poorly, but this was not. Well done and thanks Zach as Scott said Zach leads by example anyway.

 

[astrowizzle]

Because top players in the league have a a small period of their life to earn incredible money that they likely won't be to earn once their careers are over.

Problem is in reality they are all over paid. we put way to much emphasis on being able to bowl a ball or kick a footballb or shoot a hoop
Doesn't change the fact his clothes are shit. But when you have to much money it's very easy to waste it

 

[faible]

Problem is in reality they are all over paid. we put way to much emphasis on being able to bowl a ball or kick a footballb or shoot a hoop
Doesn't change the fact his clothes are shit. But when you have to much money it's very easy to waste it

They're paid for entertainment. Same as actors. Better players put more bums on seats and sell more memberships so get paid more. The money most AFL players earn is good, but not the 'never has to work again' type cash the US sports guys do.

No issue with them trying to start a business or invest in <something>. He's just chosen to invest in weirdly ugly sweats / streetwear.

Yes, there's people who work just as hard in low-paid professions that deserve to be paid more, but that's a pretty different conversation to be had about what society values.

 

[astrowizzle]

If the whole world. The value

They're paid for entertainment. Same as actors. Better players put more bums on seats and sell more memberships so get paid more. The money most AFL players earn is good, but not the 'never has to work again' type cash the US sports guys do.

No issue with them trying to start a business or invest in <something>. He's just chosen to invest in weirdly ugly sweats / streetwear.

Yes, there's people who work just as hard in low-paid professions that deserve to be paid more, but that's a pretty different conversation to be had about what society values.

It's the whole world. The value placed on athletes is absolutely ridiculous. God, take away some of the money and they might enjoy the sport a little more.

 

[faible]

If the whole world. The value

It's the whole world. The value placed on athletes is absolutely ridiculous. God, take away some of the money and they might enjoy the sport a little more.

Why do they need to enjoy the sport?

Plenty of people work jobs they don't always love.

 

[Saddlemanbags]

I wonder if asking for 4 first round picks was a tactic once they saw how bad they wanted him to be like "ok we'll take 3 first rounders now cos he's a year older" at the end of next year, like even if they offer 2 that's pretty good, his value can't drop that much surely, maybe rosa was doing 4d chess after all...

 

[fairbump_playon]

I wonder if asking for 4 first round picks was a tactic once they saw how bad they wanted him to be like "ok we'll take 3 first rounders now cos he's a year older" at the end of next year, like even if they offer 2 that's pretty good, his value can't drop that much surely, maybe rosa was doing 4d chess after all...

Yep this was all a cunning plan to definitely lose him to the hawks at the end of 2026.

 

[Vindicater]

I reckon it was a stand more than anything in a draft where we could do it. We already had five top 30 picks and limited list space and their offers were more draft picks this year plus one more pick next year which would have been in the twenties.

They needed to come to the party with a good future pick or a decent player.

 

[King Patty]

Yep this was all a cunning plan to definitely lose him to the hawks at the end of 2026.

All a cunning plan to get pick 9

 

[bombersim]

The whole thing was poorly handled.
I’d have said to him be open to interstate, or at least a few other clubs for us to get some bidding pressure, if he seriously wants to leave.

Pretty sure we kept him for optics, which is more Essendon nonsense, and how we have been doing business since the saga. This was mitigated by it being a weak draft, so better (in theory) to not be over leveraged in it.
Hopefully we can move him for 2 firsts next season - would suit the list build and Zach. Would be silly to watch him walk in UFA. Stupid really.

 

[yodellinhank]

**** him