Recommitted Zach Merrett [Re-Signed til 2027]

[Northernsoul74]

Yes. Having a player leaving a club destined for the bottom of the ladder for the next 3 year's for less money to try and get success elsewhere is a disaster.

It would be a terrible look considering it usually costs overs to get a gun to move.
If The Bont leaves us for a godfather offer there’s not much can be done, if he leaves for less it would be massive kick in the nuts and players everywhere will be questioning the club.

 

[boncer34]

It would be a terrible look considering it usually costs overs to get a gun to move.

Tom Lynch got more at Richmond than Gold Coast?
Jeremy Cameron getting more at Geelong than GWS?
Dangerfield got more at Geelong than Adelaide?

Plenty of players took less than their own club would've offered if they stayed.

 

[Brutalitops]

I don't see us being worse than Hawks,North, Crows if we do then the club is in deep sh*t

I think we will finish where we always finish between 8th-14th

You finished bottom 3 on percentage, have lost two thirds of your half-back line, and have added nothing to an already dominated midfield.

14th is an optimistic prediction. 8th suggests youve found some of the old kool-aid.

 

[Northernsoul74]

Tom Lynch got more at Richmond than Gold Coast?
Jeremy Cameron getting more at Geelong than GWS?
Dangerfield got more at Geelong than Adelaide?

Plenty of players took less than their own club would've offered if they stayed.

Yep and how did it make those clubs look? So your basically saying it’s ok for Essendon to be seen like such well run clubs as GC at the time, GWS and Adelaide?
Dangerfield is an anomaly as he literally only wanted to play for Geelong and live back on Moggs Creek.
The other 2 would add weight to my argument. It was not a great look at the time for either team GC or GWS that those players left for much less and both of them are hardly top of players lists to move there. At the time people even questioned whether GC should continue to exist.

 

[Yoda_]

Did you see Williams play in the midfield against Collingwood in the 2019 Prelim? He can play midfield for sure, but it's been too tough in the past to get into GWS' midfield. Also, Cripps will always take the oppositions tagger (if they tag), and maybe Walsh if he continues to improve. Not sure Williams will get much negating attention.

Mark McGough won an Anzac Day medal. One game does not define a career. Just ask Dean Polo as well


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[chickentendies]

Port Adelaide - and he'll earn more money over the first two years.

He has spoken.

 

[Lore]

You finished bottom 3 on percentage, have lost two thirds of your half-back line, and have added nothing to an already dominated midfield.

14th is an optimistic prediction. 8th suggests youve found some of the old kool-aid.

The club isn't even trying to sell a glimmer of hope for a finals berth this year. 8th would be about 13 wins in a normal season and that is clearly beyond dreaming at the moment.

I'd agree that percentage is more relevant as an indicator of team performance relative to other teams, and a 17 game fixture is more representative of reality than a 22 game fixture. Insofar as that, 2020's percentage seems like a good indicator.

But the reality of 2020 was one where most of the league was not based at home for most of the season, and the wheels clearly came off for a few clubs including Essendon due to living in the hub. That clearly made the highs and lows that teams experienced far more extreme as they couldn't escape from footy to decompress – with obvious flow on effects wrt morale and mental health (better if good, worse if bad).

The other thing is that 2021 is not necessarily going to be a 17 game fixture in hubs. Essendon may fair better in 2021 if they aren't in a hub environment (as may other clubs, naturally). They may also benefit from a 2021 fixture that currently has three return games against 2020's bottom six, and only one interstate trip after round 12. Beyond that, we also seem to have more players completing a full pre-season this year than we have for the last several years, which can only help.

I'd actually be interested to see which games you think we're winning and losing to make 14th an optimistic prediction;

Top 6 Middle 6 Bottom 6 (2021 post-finals ladder)

ROUND	OPPONENT	VENUE
1	Hawthorn	Marvel Stadium
2	Port Adelaide	Adelaide Oval	Interstate
3	St Kilda	Marvel Stadium
4	Sydney	SCG	Interstate
5	Brisbane	Gabba	Interstate
6	Collingwood	MCG
7	Carlton	MCG
8	GWS	GIANTS Stadium	Interstate
9	Fremantle	Marvel Stadium
10	North Melbourne	Marvel Stadium
11	West Coast	Optus Stadium	Interstate
12	Richmond	MCG
13	BYE
14	Hawthorn x2	MCG
15	Melbourne	MCG
16	Geelong	GMHBA Stadium	(Geelong)
17	Adelaide	Marvel Stadium
18	North Melbourne x2	Marvel Stadium
19	GWS x2	Marvel Stadium
20	Sydney x2	Marvel Stadium
21	Western Bulldogs	Marvel Stadium
22	Gold Coast	Metricon Stadium	Interstate
23	Collingwood x2	MCG

 

[HairyO]

8th!!! You won 1 of your last 11 games and had better players leave than come in. Tipping you will be extremely disappointed if you think you will be close to the top 8.

Hawks are starting favs against you in round 1. Thinking you are better than them is pre season hope.

Hang on. We are favourites when half our team is missing until Round 4 ???

Maybe we should aim for 8th instead of the Bombers.

 

[boncer34]

Yep and how did it make those clubs look? So your basically saying it’s ok for Essendon to be seen like such well run clubs as GC at the time, GWS and Adelaide?

No.

I'm saying we are very poor. Losing or keeping Merrett doesn't change that.

Is it ok? No. But it is what it is.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

You finished bottom 3 on percentage, have lost two thirds of your half-back line, and have added nothing to an already dominated midfield.

14th is an optimistic prediction. 8th suggests youve found some of the old kool-aid.

And? Brisbane had a stack of players leave every year and look at them now.

Not saying we'll be top 4 or anything but anything can happen footy is unpredictable look at Brisbane they were crapolla for 3 seasons (talks of folding etc) and then finished 2nd the following year

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

The club isn't even trying to sell a glimmer of hope for a finals berth this year. 8th would be about 13 wins in a normal season and that is clearly beyond dreaming at the moment.

I'd agree that percentage is more relevant as an indicator of team performance relative to other teams, and a 17 game fixture is more representative of reality than a 22 game fixture. Insofar as that, 2020's percentage seems like a good indicator.

But the reality of 2020 was one where most of the league was not based at home for most of the season, and the wheels clearly came off for a few clubs including Essendon due to living in the hub. That clearly made the highs and lows that teams experienced far more extreme as they couldn't escape from footy to decompress – with obvious flow on effects wrt morale and mental health (better if good, worse if bad).

The other thing is that 2021 is not necessarily going to be a 17 game fixture in hubs. Essendon may fair better in 2021 if they aren't in a hub environment (as may other clubs, naturally). They may also benefit from a 2021 fixture that currently has three return games against 2020's bottom six, and only one interstate trip after round 12. Beyond that, we also seem to have more players completing a full pre-season this year than we have for the last several years, which can only help.

I'd actually be interested to see which games you think we're winning and losing to make 14th an optimistic prediction;

Top 6 Middle 6 Bottom 6 (2021 post-finals ladder)

ROUND	OPPONENT	VENUE
1	Hawthorn	Marvel Stadium
2	Port Adelaide	Adelaide Oval	Interstate
3	St Kilda	Marvel Stadium
4	Sydney	SCG	Interstate
5	Brisbane	Gabba	Interstate
6	Collingwood	MCG
7	Carlton	MCG
8	GWS	GIANTS Stadium	Interstate
9	Fremantle	Marvel Stadium
10	North Melbourne	Marvel Stadium
11	West Coast	Optus Stadium	Interstate
12	Richmond	MCG
13	BYE
14	Hawthorn x2	MCG
15	Melbourne	MCG
16	Geelong	GMHBA Stadium	(Geelong)
17	Adelaide	Marvel Stadium
18	North Melbourne x2	Marvel Stadium
19	GWS x2	Marvel Stadium
20	Sydney x2	Marvel Stadium
21	Western Bulldogs	Marvel Stadium
22	Gold Coast	Metricon Stadium	Interstate
23	Collingwood x2	MCG

Don't bother with Carlton fans they finished
2 spots above Essendon

 

[robbo1981]

Port Adelaide - and he'll earn more money over the first two years.

No chance M8 haven't you heard? We can't get any non Sa big names.

 

[Wild Bill]

And? Brisbane had a stack of players leave every year and look at them now.

Not saying we'll be top 4 or anything but anything can happen footy is unpredictable look at Brisbane they were crapolla for 3 seasons (talks of folding etc) and then finished 2nd the following year

2017 they added Charlie Cameron and Hodge and the following year Neale, Lyons and McCarthy. That’s a fair 5 to add - Neale arguably the best player in the comp in 2020.

You may not like odds but your 3rd fav for the spoon.

 

[HBF]

Port Adelaide - and he'll earn more money over the first two years.

He'd be an awesome get for Port if they could get him.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

2017 they added Charlie Cameron and Hodge and the following year Neale, Lyons and McCarthy. That’s a fair 5 to add - Neale arguably the best player in the comp in 2020.

You may not like odds but your 3rd fav for the spoon.

I'll be very surprised if we win the spoon last time we won a spoon was in 2016 and that was only due to having half the team banned for a year

Maybe of we gutted the list North style I can see us winning the spoon we still have a fair bit of talent on the list that

if we win the spoon with the list we have I want a complete overhaul of the list

 

[Northernsoul74]

I'll be very surprised if we win the spoon last time we won a spoon was in 2016 and that was only due to having half the team banned for a year

Maybe of we gutted the list North style I can see us winning the spoon we still have a fair bit of talent on the list that

if we win the spoon with the list we have I want a complete overhaul of the list

You’re better, or should be, than North, Crows, Hawks and Swans at least.

 

[boncer34]

You’re better, or should be, than North, Crows, Hawks and Swans at least.

Maybe. We shall see.

 

[Virgin Dog]

If Essendon finish bottom 4 (not what I'm picking to happen, but not impossible), Merrett to Port is a fantastic result for both clubs. Would suit Ports midfield perfectly given they're arguably the best clearance team in the competition as it is. Meanwhile it gives Essendon a top 5 pick that could realistically actually get Dunkley over the line this time (drastically improving their midfield dynamic). If Essendon finish much higher though, not sure they'd want to be letting Merrett walk

 

[Schulzenfest]

Port Adelaide - and he'll earn more money over the first two years.

Yes please. He'd be a fantastic fit at Port, we don't really have another mid who plays like him.

 

[owen87]

nothing would come from the supplement saga.

FWIW the AFL tried very hard to make sure nothing did, until they were forced to do otherwise.

 

[Red Black and Blue]

If Essendon finish bottom 4 (not what I'm picking to happen, but not impossible), Merrett to Port is a fantastic result for both clubs. Would suit Ports midfield perfectly given they're arguably the best clearance team in the competition as it is. Meanwhile it gives Essendon a top 5 pick that could realistically actually get Dunkley over the line this time (drastically improving their midfield dynamic). If Essendon finish much higher though, not sure they'd want to be letting Merrett walk

If we get another top 5 pick in this draft we should not look at trading it. This draft looks way too good.

 

[Virgin Dog]

If we get another top 5 pick in this draft we should not look at trading it. This draft looks way too good.

This is assuming your lot are still interested in pursuing Dunkley in the first place.
In terms of draft picks in the top 5, if you already held one, it's not out of the question to trade the other for a known quantity. Gold Coast traded Pick 2 in the Weller trade, which turned out to be a good move in hindsight, and his talent was far less established than Dunkley.

 

[boncer34]

If we get another top 5 pick in this draft we should not look at trading it. This draft looks way too good.

If Merrett goes our midfield is completely cooked. If we're to be competitive at all, and I don't mean Top 8 competitive I mean not belted by 10 goals each week, based on current outputs we'd need to replace him.

Not with Dunkley though.

 

[owen87]

Gold Coast traded Pick 2 in the Weller trade, which turned out to be a good move in hindsight, and his talent was far less established than Dunkley.

Weller & Ballard for Andrew Brayshaw is not horrible, but I'd probably prefer Brayshaw if I was picking players.

Though Dow went at #3 so Weller + Ballard is definitely better than Dow.

 

[owen87]

If Merrett goes our midfield is completely cooked. If we're to be competitive at all, and I don't mean Top 8 competitive I mean not belted by 10 goals each week, based on current outputs we'd need to replace him.

Not with Dunkley though.

I don't think it would be too horrid, 2021 looks like a very strong midfield draft, so whilst Merrett going would be a bad thing (both because he wanted to leave, and that he's a quality player who would be hard to replace) it's probably the best case scenario draft for it to happen in.