Restricted Free Agent Zach Merrett [RFA 2021]

[Northernsoul74]

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.

Sounding like Essendon fans are against pursuing Dunkley again this year.

 

[boncer34]

Sounding like Essendon fans are against pursuing Dunkley again this year.

I wasn't thrilled at chasing him last year. He always cost to much.

 

[Bulldogs85]

Sounding like Essendon fans are against pursuing Dunkley again this year.

I wouldn’t mind the club giving Josh Dunkley a nice little extension

 

[Bulldogs85]

I wasn't thrilled at chasing him last year. He always cost to much.

Looks like you might not be thrilled if your club are chasing him again at the end of this year I highly doubt the asking price will change from our end

 

[boncer34]

Looks like you might not be thrilled if your club are chasing him again at the end of this year I highly doubt the asking price will change from our end

I haven't been thrilled with a lot of what Essendon have done so just maintaining my current stance if they do.

 

[Bulldogs85]

I haven't been thrilled with a lot of what Essendon have done so just maintaining my current stance if they do.

Fair enough

 

[Northernsoul74]

I haven't been thrilled with a lot of what Essendon have done so just maintaining my current stance if they do.

As I highly doubt we’d be into Merrett I sincerely hope he re-signs with Essendon.

 

[boncer34]

As I highly doubt we’d be into Merrett I sincerely hope he re-signs with Essendon.

Me to but if he leaves it is what it is. Can't blame players seeking greener pastures.

 

[Bulldogs85]

Me to but if he leaves it is what it is. Can't blame players seeking greener pastures.

But if you guy’s improve and make finals or just miss out surely he resigns

 

[boncer34]

But if you guy’s improve and make finals or just miss out surely he resigns

Yeah and if Donald Trump proves election fraud tomorrow Biden will be impeached and removed from office.

Both as likely to happen as each other.

 

[Red Black and Blue]

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.

We are a big chance at bottom 2 with him. Our midfield is cooked now. We need genuinely elite players to ever win a flag. If it got us Sinn or Horne I’d let him go in a heartbeat.

 

[Northernsoul74]

We are a big chance at bottom 2 with him. Our midfield is cooked now. We need genuinely elite players to ever win a flag. If it got us Sinn or Horne I’d let him go in a heartbeat.

It would get you both wouldn’t it?

 

[Red Black and Blue]

It would get you both wouldn’t it?

yep, would pretty much auto pilot the rest of our build and guarantee us becoming a contender at some point in the next 5-6 years. It’s just if we finished outside of the last spot or two and gets us a Rachele/Sonsie makes the choice a little harder.

 

[Northernsoul74]

yep, would pretty much auto pilot the rest of our build and guarantee us becoming a contender at some point in the next 5-6 years. It’s just if we finished outside of the last spot or two and gets us a Rachele/Sonsie makes the choice a little harder.

You’d likely have to finish below Adelaide to get Horne though.

 

[boncer34]

We are a big chance at bottom 2 with him. Our midfield is cooked now. We need genuinely elite players to ever win a flag. If it got us Sinn or Horne I’d let him go in a heartbeat.

I understand your sentiment but I loathe calling pre draft kids genuinely elite players. I'm also sceptical picking 2 kids guarantees us anything.

 

[Schulzenfest]

I understand your sentiment but I loathe calling pre draft kids genuinely elite players. I'm also sceptical picking 2 kids guarantees us anything.

Of course it does. Don't you remember all those flags Meblourne were guaranteed to win with Scully and Trengove, and all those flags the Blues were guaranteed to win with Gibbs, Murphy and Kreuzer?

 

[RobbieGray17]

You don't think Merrett is worth two firsts?

Two firsts, Ollie Wines, and Zac Butters and Xavier Duursma

 

[Red Black and Blue]

Of course it does. Don't you remember all those flags Meblourne were guaranteed to win with Scully and Trengove, and all those flags the Blues were guaranteed to win with Gibbs, Murphy and Kreuzer?

Trengove aside, the others shouldn’t have gone where they did. Underage performance plus AFL attributes for position are the difference, Scully, Gibbs, and Murphy have the former not the latter. Plus Kruezer despite being a talent, as rucks have practically zero to do with developing a system.

 

[boncer34]

I think maybe a couple of players in the comp are worth 2 x 1sts.

Had an okay year so it would be good to know the cause. Has he peaked? Was he angry all year and has checked out? Was Worsfold playing him the wrong way?

Etc.

3 players averaged more disposals than Zac in 2020.

Yeah he went ok.

 

[HairyO]

3 players averaged more disposals than Zac in 2020.

Yeah he went ok.

When Mitchell broke all the disposals records was he a crab or did he go okay ?

 

[boncer34]

When Mitchell broke all the disposals records was he a crab or did he go okay ?

What does Mitchell have to do with Merrett's 2020? I've already said in this thread (pretty sure it was here) that Mitchell would be Essendonds best mid. Weird flex from you.

 

[Red Black and Blue]

You’d likely have to finished below Adelaide to get Horne though.

fair chance I would have thought.

 

[TylerDurden]

We are a big chance at bottom 2 with him. Our midfield is cooked now. We need genuinely elite players to ever win a flag. If it got us Sinn or Horne I’d let him go in a heartbeat.

Would be an epic haul. Scary.

 

[owen87]

Two firsts, Ollie Wines, and Zac Butters and Xavier Duursma

Seems like unders, but I'd consider it.

Trengove aside, the others shouldn’t have gone where they did. Underage performance plus AFL attributes for position are the difference, Scully, Gibbs, and Murphy have the former not the latter. Plus Kruezer despite being a talent, as rucks have practically zero to do with developing a system.

Scully would have been the best wingman in the comp for most of his career if he was at a strong club. Just not a player you build a side around.

Unfair to Kruezer too, he had a horror injury run but was a genuinely top-tier ruckman when fit. Would have been transformative for the Blues if he'd been durable.

It does show the value of a good system though, Scully was wasted at Melbourne, Trengove destroyed, Gibbs & Murphy had good individual careers but never really had a great team alongside them to have success.

Imagine if Scully had gone to (say) Hawthorn instead, he'd be a 3 time premiership wingman playing alongside a midfield of Hodge, Mitchell & Lewis. Hell maybe he'd have been the difference in the 2 point loss they had to Geelong in 2016 too. Imagine if Dusty had gone to Melbourne?

 

[Wild Bill]

You’d likely have to finish below Adelaide to get Horne though.

Huge chance he goes 1.