Mercuri Comeback?

[Speuge]

The Age, By Caroline Wilson
November 10, 2005

Mark Mercuri and coach Kevin Sheedy have spoken about the 31-year-old returning to Essendon after a year out of the game.

Related:
- Harvey gets Dons' OK to deal with Dockers
- 2006 NAB Cup draw

RETIRED Essendon club champion Mark Mercuri is considering coming out of retirement and has unofficially entertained the prospect with his former coach Kevin Sheedy.

Mercuri and Sheedy spoke yesterday with a view to the 31-year-old returning to the club in some capacity after a year out of the game. It is understood that Sheedy and his recruiting manager Adrian Dodoro advised the former footballer to consider the challenge carefully and to work on his fitness over the next month.

While Sheedy refused to comment to The Age last night, Essendon officials confirmed that the meeting had taken place. While the club is facing the prospect of losing assistant coach Mark Harvey to Fremantle, neither Sheedy nor Mercuri are believed to have discussed the coaching option.

Harvey is expected to fly to Perth in the next few days for an interview with Dockers coach Chris Connolly and the Fremantle football department.

Should the remarkable and admittedly unlikely scenario of a Mercuri comeback take place, he would be forced to nominate for the pre-season December draft, a tough option given that the Bombers already have Scott Camporeale and Chris Heffernan in their sights. Mercuri is unlikely to consider playing for the Bendigo Bombers in the VFL, although that option has also been put forward.

Since retiring at the end of 2004, Mercuri has travelled overseas, but not made any firm decisions regarding his professional life after football.

A Mercuri comeback would make him the third high-profile Essendon footballer brought out of retirement by Sheedy.

Club champion and former captain Tim Watson is the most famous. He returned to the Bombers in 1993, adding a third premiership to his illustrious record. In 2002, Paul Salmon, at the age of 37, returned to finish his career at Essendon after five years at Hawthorn and a year out of the game. Salmon managed 15 games and rucked in two finals that year.

Mercuri retired at the end of 2004 with two premierships and 207 games to his name. But his final years were hampered by injury and, by his standards, poor form. Mercuri was also thrust into the spotlight because of the generous five-year contract he had signed with the club in the late 1990s.

 

[douggie the don]

just when we thought we were understanding what sheed's is up to!!!!
is this another piece in the "Do it for Jimbob year" puzzle??????
maybe we should use pick 7 to secure him too....

 

[Tricky_Ricky2]

stupid stupid stupid

thye bloke was a champ, but in his final 2 years was awful

i really hope he doesnt come back to EFC in a playing manner

 

[foj1]

Mercuri is finished. Both physically and mentally. Its time to move on.

 

[G_Money]

Just out of curiosity, if Mercuri came back, would he be eligible for the veterans list, or does it have to be ten years of continuous service to the club?

Do you guys have space for another veteran? Hird would be a vet, as would Fletcher, so I guess not, to answer my own question.

For what it's worth, I can't imagine Sheedy actually recruiting Mercuri, especially with Camporeale all but certain for you guys. But I would love to see him come back and have a blinder, as unrealistic as that probably is.

GM

 

[marcuz]

Mercuri is finished. Both physically and mentally. Its time to move on.

Spot on.

First campo then heff and now this rubbish. While we are in this nutty frame of mind maybe we can call "nifty" Neville Fields up and invite him down to training with the view of drafting him. He used to be a good midfielder........

 

[DaSawx]

Just out of curiosity, if Mercuri came back, would he be eligible for the veterans list, or does it have to be ten years of continuous service to the club?

Do you guys have space for another veteran? Hird would be a vet, as would Fletcher, so I guess not, to answer my own question.

For what it's worth, I can't imagine Sheedy actually recruiting Mercuri, especially with Camporeale all but certain for you guys. But I would love to see him come back and have a blinder, as unrealistic as that probably is.

GM

If Mercuri happened to come back and had a blinder, by his standards, we'd be premiership contenders.

.05% chance of that happening though

 

[Diamond_Joe]

I love sheeds, of course most of us in here havent seen another coach at our club but if he is trying to lure that mercuri back just show's AFL football has blown past him. The most disappointing thing to hear sheeds say during trade week "we dont poach players, we get players who want to leave their club" Memo to sheeds, its 2005 for pete's sake not 1986. Time to move on sheeds if you think us members are going to put up with this. Awful human being that mercuri, a guy with low intelligence surrounded by losers who have turned him into a loser. Mercuri back to EFC =

 

[Longy413]

Just out of curiosity, if Mercuri came back, would he be eligible for the veterans list, or does it have to be ten years of continuous service to the club?

I think he can. It is 10 years continuous service. But Merc's has given that. So I can't see why he wouldn't be able to.

Do you guys have space for another veteran? Hird would be a vet, as would Fletcher, so I guess not, to answer my own question.

We already have two. But you can actually list as many as you like. However you can only list two outside of the primary list. Currently we only have Fletcher. If you name 3 vets then 1/3 of their pay is outside the cap, 4 it's 1/4 etc. So it's actually more benificial to only have 2. Especially considering if Merc's did come back, it would be for minimum wage.

For what it's worth, I can't imagine Sheedy actually recruiting Mercuri

The thing I don't get about all of this, is it was rumoured to happen weeks ago. However, Wilson's article makes it sound as if Sheedy approached Mercuri for the first time yesterday. Either the first rumour was crap and it's a coincidence. Or Wilson is a long way behind the 8-ball.

 

[G_Money]

The thing I don't get about all of this, is it was rumoured to happen weeks ago. However, Wilson's article makes it sound as if Sheedy approached Mercuri for the first time yesterday. Either the first rumour was crap and it's a coincidence. Or Wilson is a long way behind the 8-ball.

Bingo.

GM

 

[Black Eagle]

If it goes through, along with the Campo and Heffernan trades, then it goes against everything that we tried to do last season by blooding some young players. Surely this is just Sheedy looking for a quick fix by selecting 'ready' made players?

 

[Viking Wizard Eyes]

If it happens, then he has lost the plot.
Very few times have I doubted Sheeds, but this makes absolutely no sense.

 

[vast]

This is purely a hypothetical question. Who would you rather have playing for essendon next year, Mercuri or Bolton?

I would choose Mercuri, even though it is unlikely to happen, he has the ability to play good football.

 

[Longy413]

Bolton. At least he can play a role that no one else on our list can cover.
Bolts isn't in our best 22, but there is a role for him to play when the right matchup comes (and that isn't good enough to keep him on the list). IE. Tagging Kouta, Goodes.

Mercs last three season's for the most part were just painful to watch. One of the best I've seen at Essendon, but to see his career end the way it did was horrid. We've found a Mercuri replacement in Lovett/Dyson. We have that creativity back in the side. Sorry Mercs, you were a champ, but you've had your time. I'd rather Bolton.

 

[Tricky_Ricky2]

yep with ya longy

 

[Margim]

"Mercuri and Sheedy spoke yesterday with a view to the 31-year-old returning to the club in some capacity after a year out of the game. It is understood that Sheedy and his recruiting manager Adrian Dodoro advised the former footballer to consider the challenge carefully and to work on his fitness over the next month."

'In some capacity' and 'work on his fitness' --- perhaps they are going to tell Barnesy to move aside

 

[boncer34]

Well it worked with Salmon and Watson.......

But still thats no guarantee it would work with Mercs, if I was him I'd be happy sitting on the sidelines cheering on the boys and not making a fool of myself by coming back.

 

[windyhill]

Watson retired, he still had football in him. He came back and was an above average contributor. Long and Bewick were forced by the club to retire they still had football in them, the salary cap saw to that though. Mercuri ? Please don`t Mark, the last two years were painful to watch, he had lost it aerobically and had got old before our eyes (in football terms) he just couldn`t do "it" anymore.
However if you were to say Mercuri or ********ing Bolton , I`d be saying welcome back Mercs.

 

[Darealrath]

I'd be speechless. Makes no sense.

 

[bigbomber]

mercuri V bolton i think i would choose bolton. mercuri V henneman well, there is just no comparison.

but on the recent time trials wouldnt gary o'donnell be a better pick!

 

[boncer34]

mercuri V bolton i think i would choose bolton. mercuri V henneman well, there is just no comparison.

but on the recent time trials wouldnt gary o'donnell be a better pick!

O'donnell used to finish in the top 5 consistently in Brisbanes pre-season trials and look at their midfield. Garry is still a very fit man, hes been retired what? 6/7 years?

 

[go team]

What if it were Mercs or Murph? Who would you pick?

 

[ant555]

What if it were Mercs or Murph? Who would you pick?

have you got a coin.....

 

[Viking Wizard Eyes]

Bolton. At least he can play a role that no one else on our list can cover.
Bolts isn't in our best 22, but there is a role for him to play when the right matchup comes (and that isn't good enough to keep him on the list). IE. Tagging Kouta, Goodes.

Mercs last three season's for the most part were just painful to watch. One of the best I've seen at Essendon, but to see his career end the way it did was horrid. We've found a Mercuri replacement in Lovett/Dyson. We have that creativity back in the side. Sorry Mercs, you were a champ, but you've had your time. I'd rather Bolton.

Spot on.

Although, I'd choose Bolton for Mercuri's sake alone.

 

[Crave]

If Mercs does return in a playing capacity, Im convinced the club will continue to slide down the ladder...part of me still thinks its a ploy to help nuture our young brigade using Merc possibly with Bendigo as a role model type. Swans tried it with a fitter, leaner Lockett n look where that got them!