Recommitted Zach Merrett [UFA 2027] - Wanted a trade to Hawthorn, but it didn't get done

[Lore]

There we go, that's the clip:

 

[Lore]

Respectfully, haven’t all the above also occurred on previous occasions? How’s it diff to 2022 (new coach, new pres, new assistants and a new-ish performance boss at the time)?

Murphy had been in place since 2019. We did get a new club doctor when Bruce Reid passed away, but that was in 2020. The junior staff in S&C change all the time but the headline act has been the same for ages.

Looks something like this I think:

Role	2022	2023	2024	2025	2026
President	Brasher	Barham	Barham	Barham	Welsh
CEO	Campbell	Vozzo	Vozzo	Vozzo	Vozzo
GM-Football/GM-AFL Mens	Mahoney	Mahoney	McPherson	McPherson	McPherson
Senior Coach (and team)	Rutten (& team defence) Caracella (mid & team offence) Tapping (fwd) Giansiracusa (def) Roberts (development) Tudor (development) Stanton (VFL, part-time) Jamar (ruck)	Scott Caracella (def & team defence) Tapping (fwd) Giansiracusa (mid & team offence) Jacobs (stoppages) Roberts (head of development) Stanton (development) Tudor (VFL, full time) Jamar (ruck)	Scott Rath (innovation & strategy) Tapping (fwd) Giansiracusa (mid) Jacobs (def) Stanton (stoppages) Roberts (head of development) Hurley (def dev) Cloke (fwd dev) Caracella (VFL)	Scott Rath (innovation & strategy) Giansiracusa (mid) Roberts (fwd) Jacobs (def) Stanton (stoppages) Hurley (def dev) Cloke (fwd dev) Dyson (mid dev) Tapping (VFL, died Feb 2025) Joyce (VFL, Feb-present)	Scott Rath (innovation & strategy) Giansiracusa (mid) Roberts (fwd) Jacobs (def) Stanton (stoppages) Hurley (development) Cloke (development) Dyson (mid dev) Joyce (VFL)
GM-List (and team)	Dodoro Forster-Knight	Dodoro Forster-Knight	Dodoro Rosa (Talent) Forster-Knight O'Brien	Rosa (GM-List) Forster-Knight O'Brien	Rosa Forster-Knight O'Brien
Head of High Performance	Murphy	Murphy	Murphy	Murphy	Inness (& Medical) Regan (S&C)
Head of Psychology & Wellbeing			Robbins	Robbins	Robbins

 

[hawkman]

If they trade McKenzie to Saints for pick 7 then jobs pretty much done

Essendon get picks 8+7
Hawks get Merret
Saints get McKenzie

I doubt St Kilda would part with 7 for Mackenzie

Then I doubt we would part with 7&8 for Merrett

 

[Burtman]

Imagine walking back into the club and facing mason redman

27

Mason Redman

Age

28

Ht

187cm

Wt

87kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.2

4star

K

10.1

4star

HB

5.1

4star

M

4.2

4star

T

2.7

4star

MG

262.0

4star

D

12.0

3star

K

7.8

3star

HB

4.2

3star

M

3.2

3star

T

1.8

3star

MG

210.3

3star

D

12.0

3star

K

7.0

3star

HB

5.0

4star

M

4.4

4star

T

2.4

4star

MG

144.2

3star

lol. The balls on that cat having a crack at the only bloke who’s put his heart and soul into the club for over a decade.

 

[HairyO]

I doubt St Kilda would part with 7 for Mackenzie

Then I doubt we would part with 7&8 for Merrett

It would presumably include us sending a later pick (e.g. 26) with MacKenzie. But if we arent getting a very good pick I would hate for us to jump at dumping everything for anything.

We had a great season. Shitting the bed and panicking would be terrible.

 

[The Chad and I]

Essendon get picks 8+7
Hawks get Merret
Saints get McKenzie

Can anybody find a single instance of a +28 year old mid attracting 2x top 10 picks in a trade?

 

[Mr Meeseeks]

(Not being disparaging for once with this comment)

If Essendon dug it’s heels in, feel like a few Hawks supporters would just label us hard to deal with etc when the real narrative would be Essendon taking a stand.

WGAF what Hawks fans think if you keep your guy? (If that is indeed what you want to do)

Mitchell doesnt care what others think of him and it works.

 

[Vindicater]

With the new bidding rules coming in I would think any deal will now include a first rounder in 27 instead of 26 as we have Bewick as a potential top five pick that we will need two higher picks to grab.

 

[The Big Dipper]

I wonder if Merrett has asked for some evidence from the club that they have a genuine plan for the future and Welsh is someone he sees as capable

Sounds like Essendon have doubled down on incompetence. Anything short of a complete rebuild is the wrong direction.

 

[Leather Poisoning]

Can anybody find a single instance of a +28 year old mid attracting 2x top 10 picks in a trade?

Nope.

 

[Yoda_]

Nope.

Don’t think I’ve seen a single Essendon supporter recently suggest two top 10 picks. Two firsts? Sure.

Not recently anyways

 

[Leather Poisoning]

Don’t think I’ve seen a single Essendon supporter recently suggest two top 10 picks. Two firsts? Sure.

Not recently anyways

Aside from the odd nuffie early in the thread, I think you are correct.

 

[MasterSamurai]

Zack still wants Hawks . The board spill hasn't changed his mind one bit.

 

[HairyO]

Don’t think I’ve seen a single Essendon supporter recently suggest two top 10 picks. Two firsts? Sure.

Not recently anyways

8, F1 and MacKenzie would surely be the equivalent.

 

[Foxx]

Imagine walking back into the club and facing mason redman lol. The balls on that cat having a crack at the only bloke who’s put his heart and soul into the club for over a decade.

The quote i saw wasn't bad at all.

 

[Ashman23]

Apparently Ridley's now staying.

 

[Yoda_]

8, F1 and MacKenzie would surely be the equivalent.

McKenzie is a player, is he not?

 

[Yoda_]

Zack still wants Hawks . The board spill hasn't changed his mind one bit.

If you say it enough doesn’t make it true

 

[TONYC3163]

No credibility, if Merrett was staying he would be saying it now.

Merrett still wants hawks, via Tom Morris. Maybe Ka Norkers should check in with Zach’s dad again.

 

[BattlerGM]

Hawthorn, do not **** this up for both of us.

You need a primo midfielder to have one helluva flag tilt for....I dunno...5 years? We need to rebuild.

Sam, give Zachy a wristy or whatever it is he wants. Welshy, stfu and let him go get success.

 

[hawkman]

With the new bidding rules coming in I would think any deal will now include a first rounder in 27 instead of 26 as we have Bewick as a potential top five pick that we will need two higher picks to grab.

Don't Tassie get draft picks in 2027? If they do, that would dilute their value

 

[HirdsTheWord]

No credibility, if Merrett was staying he would be saying it now.

Merrett said 8 weeks ago he was fully committed to us lol

Don’t think the words are credible out if his mouth at the moment. He is playing the game

 

[GinniAndTonic]

Merrett still wants hawks, via Tom Morris. Maybe Ka Norkers should check in with Zach’s dad again.

Don’t question him he might get mad again

 

[MasterSamurai]

Merrett said 8 weeks ago he was fully committed to us lol

Don’t think the words are credible out if his mouth at the moment. He is playing the game

So, he changes his mind at will when it suits him yet you guys want him back at the club all the while been your captain? Godspeed.

 

[Leather Poisoning]

So, he changes his mind at will when it suits him yet you guys want him back at the club all the while been your captain? Godspeed.

"Back at the club" implies he is, in fact, not currently at the club.

 

[jdstorm]

Yeah agree with the above. The salary cap is something they need to look at, but probably not as part of the Merrett deal given hawthorn don’t have much more to offer.

Let’s say Merrett after his pay rise is due 1.5M

That means that you basically be asking for the value of a 1.5M player in trade. Or 2x Merrett aka Merrett + TDK/LDU/Trac/Other Star X

Hawks are baulking at fair value for Merrett can’t imagine they’d want to give up double that especially when all of the good free agents are already comitted