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

[Lore]

He doesnt need to spell it out to them

He does if he wants them to officially work with him/them to get it to happen.

Essendon isn't going to pick up the phone and go "Hey so I heard on radio this morning that our captain wants to join your club. We'll accept your best offer"

 

[nylexbandit]

If we allow those campaigners to get him without paying a ransom that might be the last straw for me. We cannot reward a player for demanding to go to a specific club. Even saying “I’d like to go to a Victorian club playing finals” gives us options. This is bullshit and frankly **** him and **** them

 

[ant555]

It has really gone too far to come back from now.

 

[Red Black and Blue]

There's precisely one leaked story and it's a bit weird. He finished some goal kicking practice in the hangar and then left, as pre-agreed with Ben Brown (one of the coaches). Caro described it as being disrespectful of the AFLW players, but we don't know who added the mayo.

Im including the players coming out and talking about it. Redman now looking silly. Why are we fielding media interviews. I don’t like the definitive statement about not trading him or the email from the president. It’s all opened the door for the messiness. Should just have played a straight bat, a couple of lines statement at most.

 

[Lore]

Im including the players coming out and talking about it. Redman now looking silly. Why are we fielding media interviews. I don’t like the definitive statement about not trading him or the email from the president. It’s all opened the door for the messiness. Should just have played a straight bat.

Saying he's not for trade is the straight bat. Straight from the playbook for a high value contracted player that wants to be traded.

 

[Doss]

I realise this is futile because trade week is still weeks away, but I actively want him gone now and without delay.

If you’d told me I’d feel like that even two weeks ago I’d have laughed in your face.

 

[thepokey]

Excuse me for not feeling any sympathy for Zach Merrett's feelings of hurt and betrayal during this. Should the club have leaked it? No, I don't think so. Would the club have leaked it had Merrett not been an underhanded little shit? No, I don't think so. Lie in your damn bed, Merrett.

 

[Corleone]

Can someone explain why Essendon would be trashing Merrett's reputation? It certainly doesn't align with what Scott was saying when he was spoken to. It serves no purpose for keeping him, or for trading him.

The only reason I can see for this is to force Merrett to find other clubs willing to deal with us and satisfy a trade. Perhaps they’ve (rightly in my opinion) determined that Hawthorn won’t be willing to part with anything of value in trade and they want Merrett to find another suitor that can satisfy us.

So the logic from the club would be; we aren’t going to deal with Hawthorn, you’re not willing to find another club? We’ll make it so coming back here isn’t an option you want to entertain and we simply won’t trade you to hawthorn. Find something else. Fast.

 

[ant555]

The thing for me is we are finally being forced to do a proper rebuild. Zach goes. Guys like Durham and Caldwell along with the likes of Roberts and Caddy will go on and drive the show. No we most likely will not get someone to actually replace Merrett as a player but if we stick to the same draft plan as the last two years we will likely find a few more competitors who will join the push. In a few years we may not be top 6 but I suspect that people will be saying these guys have a decent go and do not resemble the old soft Essendon.
It is a shit show right now for sure but we really did have to hit the bottom at some stage.

 

[Phone]

the other reason the story may have been leaked by Essendon is to simply get more and more fans on board with the idea of trading him

 

[ydc55]

Essendon are a disgrace.
They had the higher ground in the merrett saga and then they leak the aflw story.
The club is a rabble.

 

[Stopher]

I realise this is futile because trade week is still weeks away, but I actively want him gone now and without delay.

If you’d told me I’d feel like that even two weeks ago I’d have laughed in your face.

100% this.

 

[zarps]

Essendon are a disgrace.
They had the higher ground in the merrett saga and then they leak the aflw story.
The club is a rabble.

How do you know for sure it was the club who leaked it?

 

[Charliebrow 16]

I will celebrate a premiership so bloody hard when it eventuates. We as a collective fanbase have put up with an enormous amount of shit. This is just another shovel full to add to the pile.

 

[Wahooti Fandango]

It has really gone too far to come back from now.

Accelerationism.

 

[Stopher]

Essendon are a disgrace.
They had the higher ground in the merrett saga and then they leak the aflw story.
The club is a rabble.

The 'disgrace' is our club captain going behind the club's back to meet with the 'jabbing' prick, a game Zach himself played in. So he should've been well aware of how it took the absolute piss out of the club and how supporters view Mitchell and Hawthorn since.

It's been said more than once, but the gloves are off now, and the club didn't start this shit either.

 

[Loonerty]

But again, he hasn't officially told the club he's leaving? This is piss poor by Zach, and I'm glad the club aren't using kid gloves for once.

And if we do announce we're going to trade him then the narrative becomes "Essendon are forcing him out, his trade value is less"

 

[zarps]

Could almost guarantee we’re gunna get the standard “rumours of board challenges” articles in the next week. About the only thing left on the journos bingo cards

Funny you say that. A family friend knows someone from the Fox Footy team very well (won’t name names, let’s just say he’s not a big fan of Essendon). According to this Fox Footy person, he’s heard there’s a disconnect between players and Brad Scott. If Essendon has another disastrous year, supposedly the board will overthrow Barham. Get Paul Little back. Scott will be sacked and they will hire: you guessed it, J. Hird.

So don’t be surprised if they start running bullshit stories about board challenges soon

 

[Jobe Watson]

Our bargaining power had already been deliberately taken away from us by Merrett and his camp making it well known he wanted out. They've done everything they can to force a trade here. Us throwing dirt back at him (if that's what's happened) may make us look bitter, but it doesn't really change anything.

 

[Doss]

Funny you say that. A family friend knows someone from the Fox Footy team very well (won’t name names, let’s just say he’s not a big fan of Essendon). According to this Fox Footy person, he’s heard there’s a disconnect between players and Brad Scott. If Essendon has another disastrous year, supposedly the board will overthrow Barham. Get Paul Little back. Scott will be sacked and they will hire: you guessed it, J. Hird.

So don’t be surprised if they start running bullshit stories about board challenges soon

The thing that sets us apart from every other club is that when we’re searching for a new coach, no matter when, we can and must consider James Hird. Even if no other club is. Or ever will.

We are constitutionally banned from not going back to Hird.

0-6 start to the season in 2054 under coach Sam Walsh? “What’s 81 year old Jimmy doing?”

 

[Petrify]

Adelaide have joined the chase for Zach

 

[Yoda_]

People really can say anything about Essendon and the public gobbles it up like a child eating the free fruit at your local woolies

 

[zarps]

The thing that sets us apart from every other club is that when we’re searching for a new coach, no matter when, we can and must consider James Hird. Even if no other club is. Or ever will.

We are constitutionally banned from not going back to Hird.

0-6 start to the season in 2054 under coach Sam Walsh? “What’s 81 year old Jimmy doing?”

It’s like an eternal curse that will only get lifted once the club wins a final

 

[BrunoV]

Can someone explain why Essendon would be trashing Merrett's reputation? It certainly doesn't align with what Scott was saying when he was spoken to. It serves no purpose for keeping him, or for trading him.

It helps get better trade value, no doubt.

At least Essendon fans can all complain that we're made out to be the bad guys at the trade table again.

It seems to have been beyond the brain power of anyone at Essendon to take the following line

"We are disappointed. If Hawthorn wants our captain it will have to pay fair value for him. We wont be making any further comment".

Add a bit of language if you want.

But I suspect many of these people are mentally unstable and dumb enough to think we're winning the PR war acting like a jilted, vengeful lover. Completely self absorbed egotistical w***ers.

Maybe the culture has changed that much. Maybe in broader society it has. But Sam Mitchell said it all. He's unapologetic and doesnt give a shit. The bozos at Essendon will at least be able to maintain some version of their twisted moral high ground while they losing their minds as Merrett and Mitchell win a premiership together, likely at the same time that we're still trying to work out how to rebuild.

 

[thepokey]

Go on, Crom! Get in there and up the offers