James Hird has delivered a blunt message to Essendon: captain Zach Merrett cannot be allowed to leave, no matter the circumstances.
Speculation around Merrett’s future has swirled after reports he is weighing up his options heading into the trade period.
According to Nine’s chief AFL reporter, Tom Morris, the 29-year-old’s primary concern is playing for a successful club, whether that’s at Essendon or elsewhere. The Bombers, though, are in the midst of a list overhaul after another season without a finals win.
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‘No way Essendon can let him go’
Hird, who coached Merrett in the early stages of his career, believes the club must draw a hard line. “There is no way Essendon can let him go. No matter what happens, no matter what he asks for, no matter where he wants to go, he just can't leave Essendon,” Hird told Nine’s Footy Classified. “Essendon should just say, ‘There is no way you are leaving, Zach’. They can’t.”
Morris added that Merrett has already sat down with club officials to hear their vision for the future, with Essendon eager to extend his deal beyond 2027. “He just wants to be at a successful club, and if Essendon is going to succeed, he’ll be there. He wants to win,” Morris said.
The Bombers face further challenges, with defender Jordan Ridley requesting a trade to Brisbane despite being tied to the club until 2029. Hird argued Essendon should take control of that situation too, insisting: “If you come to the club and say you want to go, they should be able to go, ‘OK, we’ll send you wherever is best for us’.”