Recommitted Zach Merrett [Re-Signed til 2027]

[RobbieGray17]

Cripps leaving probably won't hurt as much when you have Sam Walsh as a replacement

If Cripps wants to go I would let him go if I were Carlton. get a first round for him and something else in return then use those to plug other spots on the list

I think a little later in the season you might know what that pick will be worth. #7, or #8 might be terrible. Look at some of the #6-10 picks historically and imagine losing him for virtually nothing.

 

[citizen-erased]

For anyone stuck behind the paywall on Mark Robinson's interview with Zach Merrett that just went up on the Herald Sun, here are some notable quotes from it.

“hopefully they (fans) say, he’s committed, he’s helping. “I don’t think about the contract. I literally wake up every day & think, ‘how can I win a premiership for Essendon, how can I help Cox, Perkins, Parish, McGrath & that’s what motivates me.’’ - Merrett

“for the first time there’s been consistent effort & willingness to have a crack for 7 games in a row. “The season is unfolding how we hoped. The clarity & alignment from all staff & the players is through the roof, best I’ve seen since I’ve been at the club. By a mile.’’ - Merrett

“At the time, when you’re 24 & 23, you think ‘why the f … aren’t they following why aren’t they listening?’ But now I think my teammates see a place of care. I can massively sense they are. They are all encouraging me to push to be me" - Merrett

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

sounds too me he wants to be capatain and lead this club

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Merret the catalyst for change and Rutten is driving that

 

[Foxx]

For anyone stuck behind the paywall on Mark Robinson's interview with Zach Merrett that just went up on the Herald Sun, here are some notable quotes from it.

“hopefully they (fans) say, he’s committed, he’s helping. “I don’t think about the contract. I literally wake up every day & think, ‘how can I win a premiership for Essendon, how can I help Cox, Perkins, Parish, McGrath & that’s what motivates me.’’ - Merrett

“for the first time there’s been consistent effort & willingness to have a crack for 7 games in a row. “The season is unfolding how we hoped. The clarity & alignment from all staff & the players is through the roof, best I’ve seen since I’ve been at the club. By a mile.’’ - Merrett

“At the time, when you’re 24 & 23, you think ‘why the f … aren’t they following why aren’t they listening?’ But now I think my teammates see a place of care. I can massively sense they are. They are all encouraging me to push to be me" - Merrett

Great post mate. Its not often you can silence opposition supporters with a post.

 

[Hak94]

Great post mate. Its not often you can silence opposition supporters with a post.

Realisatically though, like come on... do Coll or Carlton supporters think he wants to go there with how they're playing? Coll are in a worse shape then Ess, we're on the improve and have started our rebuild and Coll are in a shambles with big questions marks over their youth. Carlton, only just keeping it together at the moment with the thoughts they'd play finals coming into 2021 by everyone in the media and themselves, they only just beat Ess on the weekend. On top of that, not sure they can afford him. He's a Vic boy and doesn't appear to want to uproot any of that so I think that truly eliminates anyone outside of Vic.

Like, sure there is a lot to play out but I just can't see him leaving. Let alone for the any of the clubs that have publicly made aware they're vying for him. I know Coll & Carl supporters may see this as a shot at them but if you're realistic in thinking, Ess aren't that far off Carlton now. It's not about money for him either.

 

[Foxx]

Realisatically though, like come on... do Coll or Carlton supporters think he wants to go there with how they're playing? Coll are in a worse shape then Ess, we're on the improve and have started our rebuild and Coll are in a shambles with big questions marks over their youth. Carlton, only just keeping it together at the moment with the thoughts they'd play finals coming into 2021 by everyone in the media and themselves, they only just beat Ess on the weekend. On top of that, not sure they can afford him. He's a Vic boy and doesn't appear to want to uproot any of that so I think that truly eliminates anyone outside of Vic.

Like, sure there is a lot to play out but I just can't see him leaving. Let alone for the any of the clubs that have publicly made aware they're vying for him. I know Coll & Carl supporters may see this as a shot at them but if you're realistic in thinking, Ess aren't that far off Carlton now. It's not about money for him either.

There's another good video interview on the Essendon round 8 selection facebook page. He sounds all in.

 

[The 747]

Realisatically though, like come on... do Coll or Carlton supporters think he wants to go there with how they're playing? Coll are in a worse shape then Ess, we're on the improve and have started our rebuild and Coll are in a shambles with big questions marks over their youth. Carlton, only just keeping it together at the moment with the thoughts they'd play finals coming into 2021 by everyone in the media and themselves, they only just beat Ess on the weekend. On top of that, not sure they can afford him. He's a Vic boy and doesn't appear to want to uproot any of that so I think that truly eliminates anyone outside of Vic.

Like, sure there is a lot to play out but I just can't see him leaving. Let alone for the any of the clubs that have publicly made aware they're vying for him. I know Coll & Carl supporters may see this as a shot at them but if you're realistic in thinking, Ess aren't that far off Carlton now. It's not about money for him either.

Well Geelong are pretty keen.

 

[Schulzenfest]

The baseless optimism of Essendon supporters never ceases to amaze me. You're 15th, sitting at 2-5. Players walking out on you left right and centre last year. Your finals win drought is old enough to drive. Oh but some players have said in interviews that there's a 'good feeling' around the club so everything must be hunky dory.

 

[Lore]

The baseless optimism of Essendon supporters never ceases to amaze me. You're 15th, sitting at 2-5. Players walking out on you left right and centre last year. Your finals win drought is old enough to drive. Oh but some players have said in interviews that there's a 'good feeling' around the club so everything must be hunky dory.

I mean, you could try watching us play too.

 

[Hak94]

Well Geelong are pretty keen.

Geelongs may have the budget with some retirements coming up but, they're list strategy.... it's loaded for this year or next or bust. They have too many similar types of players too.

 

[The 747]

Geelongs may have the budget with some retirements coming up but, they're list strategy.... it's loaded for this year or next or bust. They have too many similar types of players too.

It isn't, it's aimed at keeping us competitive for an indefinite period of time. Selwood and Danger winding down and off big money so we would be looking for a player like Merrett via FA to bolster the midfield some more.

Who are the types of players we have too many of?

 

[Hak94]

I mean, you could try watching us play too.

I mean, he could but that would re

The baseless optimism of Essendon supporters never ceases to amaze me. You're 15th, sitting at 2-5. Players walking out on you left right and centre last year. Your finals win drought is old enough to drive. Oh but some players have said in interviews that there's a 'good feeling' around the club so everything must be hunky dory.

Yeah because you lot didn't do the same thing when Boak & Wines were looking to walk away. Please! Bit rich. He aint walking to Port, take it to the bank.

 

[suburb whispers]

Great post mate. Its not often you can silence opposition supporters with a post.

Buddy Franklin circa 2013 : “I want to spend my whole career at Hawthorn, I love the place and I’m sure a deal will get done soon”...... knowing full well he was off to Sydney the following year. Don’t believe a players spill throughout a year of free agency. They all say they want to stay, a fair chunk of them don’t. I’d still be putting my money in him leaving Tullamarine from what I’m hearing.

 

[Schulzenfest]

I mean, you could try watching us play too.

I watched my side demolish you by 9 goals while barely getting out of second gear, does that count?

 

[Hak94]

I watched my side demolish you by 9 goals while barely getting out of second gear, does that count?

To semi be expected from a team described as "flat track bullies" coming up against a team with a fair chunk of their 22 with less than 50 games.

 

[Unfazed]

Buddy Franklin circa 2013 : “I want to spend my whole career at Hawthorn, I love the place and I’m sure a deal will get done soon”...... knowing full well he was off to Sydney the following year. Don’t believe a players spill throughout a year of free agency. They all say they want to stay, a fair chunk of them don’t. I’d still be putting my money in him leaving Tullamarine from what I’m hearing.

Didn't you say Hawthorn were getting him for pick 12 last year? Don't believe everything you hear.

 

[Wild Bill]

Great post mate. Its not often you can silence opposition supporters with a post.

For anyone stuck behind the paywall on Mark Robinson's interview with Zach Merrett that just went up on the Herald Sun, here are some notable quotes from it.

“hopefully they (fans) say, he’s committed, he’s helping. “I don’t think about the contract. I literally wake up every day & think, ‘how can I win a premiership for Essendon, how can I help Cox, Perkins, Parish, McGrath & that’s what motivates me.’’ - Merrett

“for the first time there’s been consistent effort & willingness to have a crack for 7 games in a row. “The season is unfolding how we hoped. The clarity & alignment from all staff & the players is through the roof, best I’ve seen since I’ve been at the club. By a mile.’’ - Merrett

“At the time, when you’re 24 & 23, you think ‘why the f … aren’t they following why aren’t they listening?’ But now I think my teammates see a place of care. I can massively sense they are. They are all encouraging me to push to be me" - Merrett

For anyone stuck behind the paywall.


“Teams think he is gettable - and he is gettable”

“I haven’t made my mind up yet - I’ve definitely have not made a decision”

“He simply needs to see more stability in a club that had delivered instability since he arrived”

You shouldn’t just cherry pick the parts you liked. Ess are on trial - you wouldn’t want to fall away from here.

 

[branedotorg]

I mean, you could try watching us play too.

As much as I dislike Essendon, you're more watchable this past few weeks than for years

 

[Lore]

I watched my side demolish you by 9 goals while barely getting out of second gear, does that count?

• Your club has played three games against top 8 sides, two were thrashings of 6 goals or more, and the other was the barest of wins (2 points).
• Pretty much every club has been on the receiving end of a 6 goal deficit this year, the only ones that haven't are Melbourne (undefeated), Bulldogs (worst result -22), Geelong (-25), and Carlton (-28).
• As for nine goal deficits, half the league has experienced at least one of those – everyone below 6th except for GWS, Carlton and Collingwood.
• And on the other hand, 9 clubs have given out a 9 goal thrashing – two each from the Dogs, Geelong and Port, while Brisbane, West Coast, Richmond, Gold Coast, GWS, Saints and Essendon have all handed out one each (and not all against poor old North, in case you were wondering).
• 6 goal thrashings have been handed out by every club except Hawthorn, Collingwood and North.

They aren't all going to have an exodus on that basis – it's just a reality of the 2021 season. Swings and roundabouts.

Now, if you actually want to understand why fans of another team are feeling positive about their club and their players (which I'm not convinced you actually do, based on your posting, but nonetheless) – walk a mile in their shoes.

Watch all their games, and take account of things like team selections, relative age of the playing group, whether each line looks functional, whether new players that they've recruited last year are actually talented in their own right, whether existing players look like they're still improving or playing at the standard for the level, whether their game plan looks like it's developing, whether the team has an understanding of where their teammates are going to be and what their strategy is (cohesion), whether they look happy, play for each other, try to bring each other into the game and celebrate each others milestones (first goal for the club, etc.), whether they win the games that they are expected to win, and how they handle the losses.

These are the things that make us optimistic as supporters of our respective teams.

So for us, Essendon looks like a place that the players want to be, it looks like it could offer success under Rutten as they build over the next few years. On every one of those metrics Essendon does not look anything like it did in the back half of 2020. That makes us generally optimistic, and that's why we don't feel like we're in the same situation as last year.

With regard to Merrett, he wants success, he wants the team to grow, and I think he can see that in us the same way everyone else can. It's also a place that Merrett is likely to be the next captain, which is deserved as far as we're concerned, but is also an important goal for him, and we have enough salary cap space to match basically whatever you can throw at him. So there's two things we can offer that almost no one else can match (money and captaincy), plus a fairly decent level of optimism around the direction of the club, which is also important to him.

Now, if it so happens he wants to go play a role for a median wage somewhere else in the hopes of a more immediate flag tilt, good luck to him and I hope he gets it, because I think he deserves it. He's played a lot of games (150 after today) at an excellent standard for us (Crichton x2 and an AA jacket), and we've had value out of every cent he's been paid. Most of us would wish him well with whatever he decides to do next.

I think his situation is actually a perfect example of exactly what free agency after seven years is for.

 

[Hak94]

For anyone stuck behind the paywall.


“Teams think he is gettable - and he is gettable”

“I haven’t made my mind up yet - I’ve definitely have not made a decision”

“He simply needs to see more stability in a club that had delivered instability since he arrived”

You shouldn’t just cherry pick the parts you liked. Ess are on trial - you wouldn’t want to fall away from here.

I mean, I was largely quoting what Merrett said, rather than what Mark Robinson had to say as I think that's more important than a reporter giving his perspective. But, fair.

 

[HirdyLannister]

For anyone stuck behind the paywall.


“Teams think he is gettable - and he is gettable”

“I haven’t made my mind up yet - I’ve definitely have not made a decision”

“He simply needs to see more stability in a club that had delivered instability since he arrived”

You shouldn’t just cherry pick the parts you liked. Ess are on trial - you wouldn’t want to fall away from here.

You must be stuck behind the paywall too billyboy
Those so called quotes are Mark "drunk" Robinsons opinions not what Merrett has said.

Try again

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[Kreuuuzeurns]

The baseless optimism of Essendon supporters never ceases to amaze me. You're 15th, sitting at 2-5. Players walking out on you left right and centre last year. Your finals win drought is old enough to drive. Oh but some players have said in interviews that there's a 'good feeling' around the club so everything must be hunky dory.

The best 2-5 team in history.

 

[robbo1981]

If he was all in he would of signed a new contract ? I'm sure Essendon have 1 in front of him.

 

[Great8]

If he was all in he would of signed a new contract ? I'm sure Essendon have 1 in front of him.

It makes sense to see how things play out. Yes there may be a good feeling around at the moment and we do look to be improving but there is always time for a implosion at Essendon. The next 6-8 weeks will most probably shape both our season and his choice. We start get blown out of the water and stagnating then yes he may decide enough is enough. We stay competitive and maybe pinch a couple with him seeing light at the end of the tunnel and he may decide to stay. I don’t have a problem with any player taking his time to assess things