AFL Player # 7: Indefatigable Zach Merrett (c) - Staying at Essendon! -16/9

[Beerfish]

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

 

[Beerfish]

the last 20 years?

No I'm thinking the drug saga. Thought that would be obvious. The rest of the time we've just been regular average to shit.

At least if Merrett did leave we would get something back so not a disaster. Just bad.

 

[Lore]

Yep, all an elaborate ruse to shake a lemon from the top of the tree. After expressing their disinterest over a couple of seasons now they've surely lowered his value, it's a very diabolical plan.

Or Parish, or maybe to empty our coffers and stop us poaching their players

 

[sup3rfish]

I don't believe we should at all. He's contracted for another 3 years, he's agreed to that so honour it. He was happy to sign that contract so that's what it is. Essendon would be in my humble opinion overacting if they were to 'lock him away.' Zach can decide in 3 years if he wants to be a one club player.

We absoloutley shouldnt at this stage, maybe in 12 - 18 months we look at it but dont jump now based on a reporters opinion piece or whatever that was

 

[Vander18]

I wouldn’t like to see Zach go but is it a piece to the puzzle that is Harley Reid?

Now we are thinking big!

Not saying this is definitively what we should do. Saying it is definitively how we should be thinking - Chase elite talent, be bold, nothing is off the table.

We should have had this approach last year and gone after pick 1 (noting that I don’t know for a fact that we didn’t).

 

[coastalpipeline]

Or Parish, or maybe to empty our coffers and stop us poaching their players

The Parish Saga

 

[P Money]

Clubs don't approach a star player / captain of a club a few weeks out from trade period expecting it to get done that offseason. Clubs are in talks and negotiations with player managers months and even years in advance to get these types of huge moves done. We saw with Petracca there was no way he was going to be able to move clubs within the timeline he wanted, and that was a month before the talk of Merrett/St Kilda seemed to arise. I wouldn't be super confident of keeping Petracca after next year if I was the Dees - if he still wants out it'll get done and his manager/chosen club/s will be working together all next year to make it happen.

Saints will be playing the long game and planting the seed now in hopes that Ess have another underwhelming year and the Saints show some promise with the intent of luring him across via the next trade period.

IF there wasn't an absolute flat out 'no way' from Merrett / his management to even entertain the thought, that should be enough to put a major rocket up the club - they would want to be showing Merrett a clear pathway to team success by mid next year to keep the wolves at bay.

I agree with Whateley - our captain and only genuine gun player walking out on the club, given where we are at with talent, culture and leadership - would be a disaster.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Whateley’s gone over the top. 6 years! He turns 29 next month. Plus his new contract was front end loaded ..now it’s coming towards shit bit of the contract he wants to look elsewhere? At end of this current contract he’ll be turning 32. Like others have said I’d say negotiate in a couple of years

 

[The Donners]

Whateley’s gone over the top. 6 years! He turns 29 next month. Plus his new contract was front end loaded ..now it’s coming towards shit bit of the contract he wants to look elsewhere? At end of this current contract he’ll be turning 32. Like others have said I’d say negotiate in a couple of years

Essendon’s strategy to front end contracts in a bid to throw cash at big fish when it reaches its “window” works if players back it in. If players want to renegotiate when their contracts come towards the back end then let them go. They’re not the team-first players hungry for success that we need.

Back when Essendon were good (what feels like a lifetime ago), players took pay cuts to keep the side together.

 

[MarkJohnson#1]

Whateley’s gone over the top. 6 years! He turns 29 next month. Plus his new contract was front end loaded ..now it’s coming towards shit bit of the contract he wants to look elsewhere? At end of this current contract he’ll be turning 32. Like others have said I’d say negotiate in a couple of years

Whately is a clown. The exact type who would jump at shadows like this. Need balls of steel in this caper and I’m surprised a little weasel like Gerard has any cachet in the game…

 

[Kazzie1]

You do not know how it works do you ?

Yeah, like some people and sarcasm