AFL Player # 7: Indefatigable Zach Merrett (c) - 5 time Crichton Medallist! 🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅

[Beerfish]

Contract Status: Unrestricted Free Agent 2027
My Boy Draft 2024: Pick 10, I Remember Bluey

 

[faible]

To be fair, we haven't actually traded any of those players...
It would be interesting to hear if those advocating for a trade are up for trading more than 1 (and how many), but I'd be pretty confident in saying very, very few want them all traded.

BLOW THE JOINT UP

TRADE EM ALL

 

[eth-dog]

To be fair, we haven't actually traded any of those players...
It would be interesting to hear if those advocating for a trade are up for trading more than 1 (and how many), but I'd be pretty confident in saying very, very few want them all traded.

Because everyone is boring and can't handle chaos

 

[boncer34]

So we are trading Merrett now too (cause Parish, Shiel and McGrath werent enough) less than 12 months after signing a 6 year deal?

Cool, let's just trade away all our good players. Sounds great

It's interesting discussion at least.

 

[calyam]

To be fair, we haven't actually traded any of those players...
It would be interesting to hear if those advocating for a trade are up for trading more than 1 (and how many), but I'd be pretty confident in saying very, very few want them all traded.

I have advocated for trading them all (or at least most). For the record, I like them all as players but I don't think any of them can be the best or second best midfielder in a premiership team. So unless Hobbs or Perkins or #3 draft pick go past Merrett and Parish - and do so within three to four years - then we aren't building a premiership contender.

There are a couple of important factors that have influenced my view:

1. How much value will our primary midfielders provide in 2025 and beyond? In 2025, Shiel is 32, Stringer is 31, Merrett is 30, Parish is 28, Langford is 28 and McGrath is 27.

2. Do we have enough top-end talent to compete with the league's best sides without accumulating more draft assets? How would we accumulate those assets?

We have some really valuable trade assets and they happen to be players who are unlikely to be part of our next contending team. Merrett is one of those assets. We could potentially trade him for two first round picks and if we got creative by partially paying his contract we could potentially extract even more from a team in 'win-now' mode. The case for trading, say, Shiel or Stringer is even stronger since they have no hope of contributing meaningfully to a good Essendon side.

Essendon has been a consistent middle-of-the-table side for much of the past two-decades. We've only truly bottomed out once - from 2005 to 2010 - and outside that we've always been making 'win-now' moves. It's never worked for us and I do think we need to break that cycle.

We'd enjoy more long-term success by bottoming out properly, accumulating draft assets and picking the eyes out of the next three drafts. We aren't going to win a premiership with a midfield led by Merrett and Parish. The league's best midfields are bigger than us, stronger than us and outwork us. If we don't change that then we aren't really building for a premiership; merely pretending to.

If I had my way I'd try to trade Merrett to a contender - he's been a good servant of the club and I'd like to see him play and win finals - so I'd be targeting teams like Geelong or Richmond or the Western Bulldogs. If I could do the same with Parish then I would have six first round picks over the next two-years. That's the type of thing that can fundamentally change a team's trajectory. Even if you don't draft anyone as good as Merrett or Parish you are still likely to add 4 to 6 guys that are in your best 22 in three years time.

Another way of looking at it is to examine past decisions. Would Essendon today be better or worse off had we traded Hurley or Hooker or Heppell or Zaharakis? Only a few years ago each of these players had considerable trade value. We could have accumulated talent that could have contributed meaningfully to our success over the next decade. Instead we have one that will retire this year, two that have already retired and one that possibly should retire. Not one of them played in a winning final and there is an awfully good chance that we will say the same about guys like Merrett.

If we want to enjoy success then we need to be thinking more about the medium-to-long term than purely about what might help us to win games today.

 

[andleanback]

depending on the deal, I think Parish is tradeable. the other 3 aren't imo
6 years for Merrett
Shiel's age
McGrath is important structurally.

No point of reading parish. If we’re bottom 8 next year we might aswell let him walk as a free agent.

 

[eth-dog]

No point of reading parish. If we’re bottom 8 next year we might aswell let him walk as a free agent.

It is if we can get more this year

 

[andleanback]

It is if we can get more this year

You reckon someone is going to give a top 8 pick for parish this year? Can’t see anyone in the bottom 8 currently who needs a parish type of player and would be willing to give up their pick. I’d say it’s a huge chance geelong offer him a long term deal next year. Danger almost done, selwood done, Hawkins probably close to done. They’ll have cash to spend.

 

[eth-dog]

You reckon someone is going to give a top 8 pick for parish this year? Can’t see anyone in the bottom 8 currently who needs a parish type of player and would be willing to give up their pick. I’d say it’s a huge chance geelong offer him a long term deal next year. Danger almost done, selwood done, Hawkins probably close to done. They’ll have cash to spend.

I think we can get a first and then some this year. St. Kilda if they miss the 8 would be willing to pay it IMO

 

[andleanback]

I think we can get a first and then some this year. St. Kilda if they miss the 8 would be willing to pay it IMO

They don’t need a parish type in their midfield mix. They need a difference maker like a josh Kelly etc, that’s probably why they’re going after de goey.

 

[dank420_]

So we are trading Merrett now too (cause Parish, Shiel and McGrath werent enough) less than 12 months after signing a 6 year deal?

Cool, let's just trade away all our good players. Sounds great

No no,

Merrett is playing bad, so we must trade Parish.

 

[DERO]

No no,

Merrett is playing bad, so we must trade Parish.

Malaka!

How shit are we right now?

 

[yodellinhank]

Malaka!

How s**t are we right now?

It's not linear mate.

 

[dank420_]

Malaka!

How s**t are we right now?

Should not have delisted Jake Long!!!

 

[DERO]

Should not have delisted Jake Long!!!

Thank goodness for the AFLW team!

 

[fairbump_playon]

Imagine if it’s Merrett who sits Parker on his arse.

Worth imagining because it could never happen in real life.

 

[citizen-erased]

Imagine if it’s Merrett who sits Parker on his arse.

Worth imagining because it could never happen in real life.

Zachy owes rowbottom one.

 

[naraku]

When was the last time Zach was able to more a good contribution on the scoreboard?

 

[Skipper_]

Seemed to be a playing the Walsh role a bit today and it suits him.

 

[DERO]

It has taken him a while but he has finally eclipsed Josh Green as a small forward.

 

[Alberto_Magnifico]

It has taken him a while but he has finally eclipsed Josh Green as a small forward.

I heard this has motivated Green to start training again for a suprise comeback

 

[windyhill]

He’s not a huge man Zak but he’s clearly our best tackler, outstanding technique.

 

[Yoda_]

He’s not a huge man Zak but he’s clearly our best tackler, outstanding technique.

I was surprised at how few he had registered (6), 3 of them were very very good, 2 may even have been holding the balls (one versus Warner, the other against Rowbottom I think)

 

[windyhill]

I was surprised at how few he had registered (6), 3 of them were very very good, 2 may even have been holding the balls (one versus Warner, the other against Rowbottom I think)

Just think it’s something that’s overlooked in his game. He has the absolute class to go with the work ethic.

 

[DERO]

I heard this has motivated Green to start training again for a suprise comeback
View attachment 1438428

That is Austin Lucy

 

[Alberto_Magnifico]

That is Austin Lucy

My bad, I thought his head was a little too big