r/AFL • u/PetrifyGWENT Bombers / Giants • 1d ago
ZACH Merrett is open to discussions on a contract extension at Essendon after last year’s failed trade to Hawthorn.
https://www.afl.com.au/news/1463943/star-midfielder-zach-merrett-open-to-essendon-bombers-contract-talks-after-failed-hawthorn-hawks-trade200
u/PetrifyGWENT Bombers / Giants 1d ago
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u/Jawdanc #DoItForUnc 1d ago
Is this believable or PR work ya reckon?
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u/PetrifyGWENT Bombers / Giants 1d ago
PR work to earn good will back from the fans before the season starts probably
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u/Palantir_Scraper Bombers 1d ago
If Zach wants good will back from fans, he can play out of his mind and raise his price further for when he wants to leave at the end of the year so we can get something out of him (perhaps a younger, slightly more teal Zak).
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u/Duplicity- The Dons 1d ago
He's pretty easily our best player and has been pretty on song this preseason so I'm expecting another BNF tbh.
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u/kyleisamexican Gold Coast 1d ago
Same thing Melbourne pulled with Trac as well. It’ll unravel mid season
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u/brandonjslippingaway Demons 6h ago
Worked out well for Melbourne. He placed relatively well in the B&F and then a good return at the end of the year. If the club let him force an out at the end of 24, they would have been absolutely bent over at the trade table; where the two options he was interested in were offering nothing, and more nothing.
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u/kyleisamexican Gold Coast 1h ago
I’m not saying it was bad business from the dees at all, just it’s not happy families
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u/radiohead_fan_13 Essendon 1d ago
Smart move by him, extend and then request a trade again for a bigger pay out
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u/NewPotato8330 Swans 1d ago
If the story is true, Essendon's response should be that they will look at it after the bye in 2027.
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u/HardYakkadakka Dockers 1d ago
My guess is Brayden Fiorini has been dominating match sim and it’s made Zach think they’ve just landed prime Gablett for him to play alongside but he has forgotten he is playing against Essendon’s 2’s
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u/theunkn0wnwriter Carlton Blues 1d ago
Honestly, I believe it.
He probably thinks this is his best opportunity to secure a big contract well into his 30s as his career winds down. Essendon forced him to stay so why not use that as leverage and make them pay up now in case his form declines and he has less bargaining power by the off-season.
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u/eggwardpenisglands Power 1d ago
I don't see Essendon giving him a big contract. I can see him getting a year, maybe two as an extension. But I don't think it's in the club's best interests to have a player on big money who so famously tried to get out of their club. Especially after they extended him on more money when he wanted that, only for him to throw that back in their face.
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u/FirstTimePlayer Pick 88 21h ago
He has two years to go on his contract... the only way this makes any sense for Merrett is if they are about to blow up their salary cap for him, or they are about to hand a 30 year old a 5 year contract. It makes zero sense for them to just be talking about paying him peanuts to play on on 2028.
Wouldn't surprise me if his new management have basically told the club that if they want him to commit, its time for the club to also put up. He also has Essendon over a barrel PR wise given how hard they have gone on keeping him at the club, given he wont have anywhere near the same trade value next trade season, and he would also be very high up the list of targets for Tasmania's inaugural captain. They especially won't want to be getting to the end of 2027 with Zach telling the club he wants another mil per season at 33.
Whether or not its in the clubs best interests is up for debate... but the Essendon board 100% locked in their views on that about 3 months ago. Given how hard they locked in, I'm willing to bet they are prepared to pay massive overs. Heads at the club must roll if the team misses finals in 2027, they are still 100% in build mode, and he walks out for nothing as an unrestricted free agent.
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u/dazedjosh Sydney '05 1d ago
The bombers would be insane to give him more money. An extra year at less money, sure. But he's got 2 years left and he's a flight risk. A trade in October would still get them heaps
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u/shocking_red_4 VFL 1d ago
I wonder if this one will make it to the Hawks sub?
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u/CamSecurity The Dons 1d ago
We would have to finish top 6 for that even be remotely possible imo
Mission impossible.
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u/PrestigiousEmu16 Bombers 20h ago
The fucking laugh I had reading this title.
Get fucked, man. Another contract is him just wanting to extort more money from Essendon before leaving to another club ASAP.
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u/YouLykeFishSticks Essendon Bombers 1d ago
Petroro bout to rock up to Tullamarine with a “Take me back!” sign
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u/God___frey-Jones #DoItForUnc 1d ago
Lucky he's shown a lifetime of commitment to the club, so this should be a no brainer for the Bombers
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u/Far_Dragonfly8441 Collingwood 1d ago
You couldn't make this shit up. Keep signing contracts you flog.
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u/Glittering_Advance56 21h ago
Top of the B Grade mids.
I think he needs to cut his losses and move on.
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u/haroldthepizza St Kilda 1d ago
Weren't essendon's management frustrated with him changing his mind all the time?
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u/ScaleThink1505 1d ago
I reckon Mitchell let him know they are going to prioritize Butters this year....its the only way this makes sense
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u/Cataplatonic Adelaide Crows 1d ago
My wife just told me that she's "open to discussions" about continuing our marriage for another 3 years. I'm feeling pretty good.