With the announcement Bombers star Zach Merrett will “wait” to decide on his future at the Hangar, he’s now become a hot topic for free agency rumours and put Essendon’s season under the spotlight with perhaps a higher intensity than previously.
With Ben Rutten’s first real season in charge – but, let’s be honest, he coached last year – and a need for Essendon to be on the rise, if they don’t have an upwards trajectory, he has every right to seek further options.
His management will field calls, but four clubs in particular should absolutely get on the phone.
Carlton Blues
They made inquiries about Merrett’s services at the end of last season and rightly so. Merrett is only six and a half months younger than skipper Patrick Cripps and would add yet another dynamic to a Carlton midfield that finally added some weapons.
A midfield core of Cripps, Zac Williams, Merrett and Sam Walsh is a very appetising one. There is no reason Carlton would chase Merrett when he had a contract but not chase him now.
Collingwood Magpies
Salary cap issues will haunt the Pies due to the turnover in the 2020 off-season, but Merrett is an upgrade from every player who left and would be Collingwood’s third-best midfielder – second if you want to put him above Taylor Adams.
Scott Pendlebury is 33, and getting a 25-year-old star will work better for the Pies’ growth than a draft pick. They’re getting Nick Daicos in this draft anyway, so adding Merrett has no downside.
Brodie Grundy tapping the ball to Taylor Adams, Scott Pendlebury and Merrett in 2022 is a match made in heaven, and even when Pendlebury goes it still works beautifully.
Zach Merrett (Photo by Adam Trafford/AFL Media/Getty Images)
Sydney Swans
Most of the same reasoning with Collingwood works for Sydney. The Swans have a stronger core coming through, Josh Kennedy turns 33 in June and guys like Dylan Stephens, James Rowbottom, Errol Gulden, Justin McInerney, Braeden Campbell and Ollie Florent have all played 70 or fewer games.
Are Ryan Clarke, Harry Cunningham and Robbie Fox the answers? It’s the most left-field of the teams on here, but it sounds very appealing. With the talls at Sydney growing beautifully, Merrett’s class, metres gained and good ball use would add plenty to the Harbour City.
Hawthorn Hawks
The Hawks have got more list problems than would be solved by just getting Merrett, but Hawthorn’s midfield problems at least would be fixed with a snap of the fingers. Tom Mitchell is the extractor who can feed out to Merrett and James Worpel, who is getting better and better with each game he plays.
Does Zach really want to go to a club at the same if not a lower level than where he’s currently playing? Who knows. But if Hawthorn do better than Essendon this year, they absolutely should try and get him.
Richmond Tigers
The Tigers chased Brad Crouch at the end of the 2020 season, so why exactly would they want not Merrett? Dustin Martin is begging to be unleashed as the ultimate pinch-hitting midfield-forward – which he basically is already – and though Richmond have guys like Jack Ross and Thomson Dow who want midfield roles, would you rather those two or Merrett? Case closed.
Jorge of Brisvegas
Roar Rookie
Yeah, the premise of your article is flawed. You have said 5 clubs that would benefit and given some reasons (some bleeding obvious like - he is better than others they have or lost). It does not point out what is Merrett’s key strengths and why they should suit / match certain teams that would benefit significantly more than others. This article should be called “Here’s a midfielder who can run and why he would make 5 random (er hm, hm Melbourne (and ex South Melbourne) successful ones, better. I could give you more detailed and better reasons for Gold Coast, Brisbane, West Coast and Port Adelaide as to why Merrett and his strengths suit these teams more closely and would have a more significant impact than the five you listed. Especially as another commenter has discussed with draft leverage. Potentially a good premise for an article, poorly executed.
Aransan
Roar Rookie
Slane, don’t believe all the spin you read. I really didn’t want to raise this issue but Peter the Scribe kept on going about players wanting to leave Essendon and in the finish my hints weren’t enough to get him off topic. Saad played every game for Gold Coast in 2017 before requesting a trade to Essendon, he then only missed one game between 2018 and 2020 before requesting a trade to Carlton. Three club players generally miss more than one game in 4 years. A player usually won’t want to appear to be chasing money but they have very good agents who will benefit if they do so. Their agents are very good at creating a narrative that explains their movements. Anyone following this at the time would have had a good idea of the money involved, eventually I believe Essendon matched Carlton’s offer and that was a mistake.
Slane
Guest
You guys must know more than the professionals. You should let us in on how you get your info. https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-2020-adam-saad-trade-essendon-carlton-trade-period-compensation-pick-free-agents-contracts-trade-news/news-story/a718f8d63d6b45dc1b7f6827c9ad2e9d
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
The contract saad is being paid at Carlton is obscene. It very well may result in the off loading of a curnow or McKay to save money.
Liam
Guest
Remind me again how you are privy to Saad's contract again, Aransan?
Jimmy jamz
Guest
Just saying I didn’t think the deal was 5 and 9. Future picks are hard to value but the way it played out would have been great for the bombers. Anyway it’ll be a few years to tell with this years players, will be good to look back on the possibilities of the deal for bombers, swans, lions and blues in future years
Jimmy jamz
Guest
Yeah but that deal also involved the swans losing Tom papley. As a swans fan I really didn’t want the deal happen, and I quite enjoy watching Daniher play. Will be good to see the difference he makes to the lions
Aransan
Roar Rookie
Yes, I believe Saad was unhappy about something at Essendon but he is on top dollar at Carlton, something obviously important to him. Carlton will be his third club.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Saad wasn't happy about something at the Bombers. The Bombers are kind of the opposite problem to the Pies. At the Pies we cut four players who all wanted to stay, three of them over paid. At Essendon you have players wanting to leave. There's a big difference.
Brendon the 1st
Roar Rookie
I'd imagine Merrett would then go to the draft,
pablocruz
Roar Rookie
Still wouldn't get the job done, Chucka. You really think Dodo's gone soft?
Aransan
Roar Rookie
Collingwood doesn’t respect key position players. Expect your support players to carry the main role and then get stuck into them when they can’t deliver. Never mind, Collingwood will get Merrett for nothing in the pre-season draft!
Aransan
Roar Rookie
But one doesn’t know what a future first will be at the time. We are getting into hindsight territory.
Aransan
Roar Rookie
Dusty has had a couple of seasons where I would value him at $1.5m, I believe he is on $1.2m. He might be paid overs for the length of his contract but that depends on how contracts go in the future.
Aransan
Roar Rookie
If a player wants to get away from a traditional AFL state (Daniher) or return to their home state (Fantasia) does that have much to do with the list manager? If a player wants top dollar then perhaps you just have to let them go.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Isn’t a list Manager responsible for the list including comings and goings? Otherwise he is a draft manager? A trade manager?
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
Yeah but doddorro will demand oli wines plus two first round picks
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
Yeah but the swans obviously would’ve done better if they had Joey. It would’ve helped as they would’ve been able to play mccartin down back and Joey would’ve helped out in the ruck as well
Charlie Keegan
Roar Guru
Knowing doddoro it’ll be merrett to the doggies in return for Dunkley and two first round picks haha.
Cracka
Roar Rookie
what financial figure is unders for Dusty? I was under the impression that Dusty was being paid over $1,000,000 a season is that wrong? and I think people have to remember Dusty is in the right environment team wise to play his best footy, they have a game plan that leaves Dusty one on one 95% of the game as soon as he is tagged they move him forward, so in another side he wouldn't get the team support he gets at Richmond, whereby someone like Patrick Cripps is double teamed around the ground in ball ups and in the middle is blocked by a tagger most of the time, so he can't do what he can 50% of the time and he wouldn't be the only mid getting this treatment, so as good as Dusty is he doesn't get the treatment others get, so I think he is being paid overs, but thats just my opinion.