Essen-Done: Zach Merrett signs mega deal to stay with the Bombers

%100, they were almost ready(well the media at least) to ship truck off and start all over again this year, the negative press coming from essendon was quite full on and now look at them. Credit where credits due i reckon.lol. :stoked:

Definitely some bright, promising signs from Essendon this year after really discouraging signs of player disenchantment under Rutten last year. So credit to Rutten for turning things around. And well done to Dudd-oro for nailing his first round picks. I suspect both Bomber and Bulldog supporters (and Dunkley) are happy now that the Dunkley trade didn't proceed.

The Tom Boyd deal? 'Before', I thought it was excessive but I loved the statement of it - we were a club in crisis (just lost our coach, captain Griffen, brownlow medallist Cooney and talented Higgins), who couldn't attract good players from other clubs, frustrated that our club had been ransacked by other clubs, frustrated that free agents went to the powerful clubs for free, frustrated with unfair fixturing by the AFL. And with the money we landed a very young key power forward, widely believed to be the best talent in the land, built like a 7 foot tall Superman, locked-in long term. So I was thrilled. Over time, he promised glimpses but didn't quite deliver ... until he did, in the most glorious fashion. I thought Bont, Tom Boyd and Picken were our three best in the 2016 GF and without Boyd's 3 really good goals and dominant marking performance, we wouldn't have won that magical, elusive flag. He also played an important gutsy role in the PF, despite probably being shaded on the day in the ruck. So on reflection 'after', the money we paid was worth every cent. In fact it probably wasn't enough. Sad that the game caused him mental anguish. I applaud the man for his career efforts, raw honesty, and the integrity he showed to walk away from the game and forsake big money putting his own health and happiness first, as well as being fair to the club.

PD, I'm looking for some insight from a dogs man of how you evaluated that signing before & after?

Put on a Michelin man outfit & walked through the gate!

Are you at the game Chanon? You must be the only Doggies supporter allowed in.

Dougie dogs down by 9pts at half time in the VFL. Can’t see McLean or Wallis Maybe they are both playing tonight?

Macrae is a year older than Merrett and it took him two years longer to get his first AA. If he makes AA again and Merrett doesn’t it will primarily be because he plays in a better team and has more depth around him, not because he is clearly a better player. They are both going to be thereabouts and I would be staggered if they aren’t both in the squad of 40, based on current form. Merrett was a free agent, which always acts as an upward force on contract prices. He’s also more crucial to his own club than Macrae is, given the Bombers’ comparative lack of depth/consistency in the midfield, and is very likely to be the club’s next captain, unlike Macrae. Macrae will be a free agent next year so it will be interesting to see what sorts of offers he is commanding. I suspect they will be very similar to those floated around for Merrett. He will no doubt have to accept a bit less than Merrett if he decides to stay loyal, simply because the Dogs don’t have the cap space that Essendon does. Presumably he will be happy to do so, given that his side is in the window. And please don’t compare Merrett to Johanesen…

%100 and if I think you said to most essendon supporters before the year started that they would be where they are and the players that have come on etc, they'd take it everytime, I'd hazard a guess but I think saints and blues fans would like the same sort of results rather than what they're dishing up at.the moment as well.lol.

Hehe ... I think Macrae will be selected in the AA team (again) and Merrett won't (again), even in spite of competition for midfield spots from within his own team (Bont and Libber). And I think he's on about $150k less per year than the contract Merrett just signed. So that's two major differences. And that's what this conversation is about - relativity / value.

a lot of players who get the big money ca fall away from their best form. Others simply rise higher Hopefully Merrett gets even better.

yes, great to hear.

Like I mentioned in a comment below I think many supporters like Dougie are enamoured by the big bodied dynamic mids that get all the media attention as they have the big highlight reels. But supporters that watch a team week in week out know how valuable guys like Merrett are. Ive seen similar criticisms made against Josh Kelly and Jack Macrae because they have historically spent more time on the outside. These supporters and the media fail to realise this isnt because these players are soft, its because they are class distributors and decision makers and you want the ball in their hand delivering it into the 50. Wonder how Doug feels about this 9 page long bigfooty thread where opposition supporters are leveling the similar ill informed criticisms at Macrae? https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/is-jack-macrae-overrated.1265576/

Spot on! I'm always amazed at everyone thinking Dusty us the best and yet...other players that don't go back ro help the defence,don't tackle, don't chase etc are persecuted. Yet Dusty just roams around mid to forward and gets cheapies when it suits him. Imagine how many Brownlows Danger would have won if he didn't get the hard contested ball, go back to help his defence etc. He would have kicked 80 goals a season.

Good to see Essendon putting player health and welfare first again after the shameful treatment of the past.

I think its time you watched him play. His tackling,pressure etc is always excellent. Even when the team is struggling.

Menegola from the Cats was in the all Australian squad last year as well. It's probably just bias on my part but I think he was better than Merrett last year.

We are a 20 goal better team Dougie don’t forget it. Our lads win the middle our 3 big guns will wreck havoc!

That’s the spirit!

Yeah statistically speaking he was actually the best wingman in the comp. I’d probably rate mcclugage as slightly higher now.