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

[calyam]

The spirit of Dodo is well and truly alive at Essendon. Puffing up our chest and pretending we are a big and powerful club check overvaluing our players check short-term thinking check. Oh and we get to screw over a 'rival' even though we haven't been relevant to the Hawks for decades.

 

[MiguelM]

Roll on Round 1.

Would love to see Merrett BOG. Imagine Bitchell's stiff jaw giving him coaches votes!

 

[MightyDon]

There was talk that Essendon players prefer McGrath as a leader to Merrett anyways.

this is not a positive, maybe if the the hawks wanted McGrath you might be able to look at it that way

 

[Phone]

They needed to make a valid offer, they never did.

In their arrogance they assumed we were desperate to rid of him and would take any crap they offered.

That arrogance is why a deal never got done.

they did though.

like, that can't really be argued. we didn't want to accept it, that's fine, but a valid offer was absolutely made. Indeed, if our counter-offer (asking for a 2nd round pick too after asking for all the first round picks too) is true, we're probably the ones closer to not making a "valid offer", whatever that phrase is worth

 

[Atavistic]

The spirit of Dodo is well and truly alive at Essendon. Puffing up our chest and pretending we are a big and powerful club check overvaluing our players check short-term thinking check. Oh and we get to screw over a 'rival' even though we haven't been relevant to the Hawks for decades.

But we pissed off Hawthorn, so I call it a win.

 

[bommer16]

I Remember Bluey

Heya your boy remains!

 

[BratPack]

The spirit of Dodo is well and truly alive at Essendon. Puffing up our chest and pretending we are a big and powerful club check overvaluing our players check short-term thinking check. Oh and we get to screw over a 'rival' even though we haven't been relevant to the Hawks for decades.

And it's comments like this that are the reason why we're in the state we're in as a club

 

[BrunoV]

The deal fell through over a FF1 (i.e. a 2027 first round pick) according to Petroro.

It sounds dumb enough to be credited to Essendon.

 

[carnthedons]

We probably should’ve done the deal but Hawthorne should’ve spent more of the last week and a half (longer really) working out what might get it done. Going “too bad we couldn’t get you something you value sufficiently” when you’ve waited until the 11th hour to make any kind of offer, that’s kinda not our fault

 

[bommer16]

I think haw knew they didn’t have the collateral to get him over so a different tactic was used to reduce his value.
If this has been said numerous times I apologise.

 

[VelvetSledge]

Lol, Dix 2 U Zach

Welcome home fella

 

[Vindicater]

Welcome back Zach.

Now go iron out Watson in the first minute of round 1 and the love will be fully returned.

 

[Howard Moon]

The deal fell through over a FF1 (i.e. a 2027 first round pick) according to Petroro.

It sounds dumb enough to be credited to Essendon.

I reckon that's nonsense, we just requested a price we knew hawthorne couldn't (or wouldn't stump) so we didn't have to trade him

 

[Mr Meeseeks]

Damo reporting we wanted a player, even upto the last few minutes but Hawthorn didn't want to give us one.

We didnt have one to give, the only one who was happy to move wasnt good enough.

You guys can trade/keep players against their wishes but since Clarko moved on, we dont do that.

 

[Bipolar Bear]

Hawthorn and Zach have been the catalyst for massive change internally, not the Hawks would have wanted.

 

[Here_we_come]

And it's comments like this that are the reason why we're in the state we're in as a club

Yeah, people with your attitude at the club have really worked well for us the last 20 years.

 

[Yoda_]

The deal fell through over a FF1 (i.e. a 2027 first round pick) according to Petroro.

It sounds dumb enough to be credited to Essendon.

read the room mate, literally every bit of shit information leaked or offered up over the past few weeks has been shit from Tom Petroro. His carry on today confirms my assumption that he is one of the grubbiest managers in the industry.

 

[Blind Turn]

The spirit of Dodo is well and truly alive at Essendon. Puffing up our chest and pretending we are a big and powerful club check overvaluing our players check short-term thinking check. Oh and we get to screw over a 'rival' even though we haven't been relevant to the Hawks for decades.

We are a big and powerful club. The saga would’ve killed off every club other than the Pies. There’s nothing wrong with posturing so long as we can now back it up. It’s all a part of re-finding our mojo.

Hawthorne undervalued our player. The significantly better deal for Petracca proves that. He is the only elite player on our list that we’d fight for to this degree (other than maybe Caddy).

This could be very easily viewed as long-term thinking. The short-term planning looks no different other than Merrett might have a sook.

The game isn’t a yearly battle for a prize, it’s a lifetime battle against your rivals. Handing the Hawks the final piece in a winning flag would be as significant as losing to them in a grand final. **** them, it’s good to see that they couldn’t undermine us.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

the deal offered was overs. the draft is irrelevant. you can spread your risk and that's the job of a pragmatic and responsible club/list manager (as was done re: kako last year).

The deal was Pick 10, Pick 22 and (best guess) Pick 17 next year.

This year’s draft is widely considered to be weak at the top end. The picks are worth less and we already have five of them.

It wasn’t a terrible deal by any stretch, but I don’t think it was ridiculous overs for the superstar that Merrett is and will continue to be for another few years.

 

[WindyHillZephyr]

Rosa missed an opportunity there. Reporters asked about Merrett not wanting to be at the club. The reply should have been "Merrett wanted to join Hawthorn more but doesn't necessarily not want to be at Essendon"

 

[Phone]

Rosa missed an opportunity there. Reporters asked about Merrett not wanting to be at the club. The reply should have been "Merrett wanted to join Hawthorn more but doesn't necessarily not want to be at Essendon"

Presumably Rosa didn't want to be laughed at, which is fair enough really

 

[brutus76]

3 X 1sts with something going back a la the Curnow and Petracca deals was about right but the Hawks didn't pony up

Cats and Hawks haven't got better = Suns v Lions GF next year?

 

[Old Campaigner]

We are a big and powerful club. The saga would’ve killed off every club other than the Pies. There’s nothing wrong with posturing so long as we can now back it up. It’s all a part of re-finding our mojo.

Hawthorne undervalued our player. The significantly better deal for Petracca proves that. He is the only elite player on our list that we’d fight for to this degree (other than maybe Caddy).

This could be very easily viewed as long-term thinking. The short-term planning looks no different other than Merrett might have a sook.

The game isn’t a yearly battle for a prize, it’s a lifetime battle against your rivals. Handing the Hawks the final piece in a winning flag would be as significant as losing to them in a grand final. **** them, it’s good to see that they couldn’t undermine us.

I'd just be more than a bit concerned we end up in a worse position next trade period and regret not taking what was on offer

 

[Lore]

 

[BrunoV]

I reckon that's nonsense, we just requested a price we knew hawthorne couldn't (or wouldn't stump) so we didn't have to trade him

He texted Barrett on air and told him that we asked for 4 first round picks, the final pick being that FF1.