Zach Merrett trade package from Hawthorn Hawks, Essendon Bombers players out of contract

The likely trade package for Zach Merrett has been revealed, as the Essendon star once again prepares to seek an exit.

It comes as the Bombers prepare to make a call on 13 off-contract names, before taking a big draft hand into November.

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One year on from his failed move to Hawthorn, Merrett is again hoping to be in Hawthorn colours by the end of the trade period.

But this time around, the Hawks will have to give up only “half” of the offer Essendon defiantly turned down last October - two first-round picks (10 and 22), a future first-rounder, and midfielder Henry Hustwaite.

That’s according to Midweek Tackle’s Jon Ralph, who shed light on the “initial consensus” trade return for the Bombers.

“Essendon is going to have to take roughly half the offer it would have secured for Zach Merrett (last year), 12 months on,” Ralph told Fox Footy on Tuesday night.

“He turns 31 two days before the trade period; it was an offer of three first-round picks - Essendon wanted four, and we know what happened.

“He’s set on an escape again, and he’s only got a single suitor in Hawthorn.

“The initial consensus is the Dons would get a first-rounder, and then potentially a second-rounder.”

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Hawthorn currently holds Pick 16 and three second-rounders - selections 24, 25 and 34.

“He’s been told to just play good football, don’t rock the boat, don’t let this one get messy,” Ralph added.

“He doesn’t want to leave Melbourne. Gold Coast was a little bit interested … he and his wife are absolutely hellbent on Hawthorn again.

“And I think Hawthorn, right now, would say, ‘We’ll give a first and a second-rounder’.”

If such a deal went down in October, the conversation would quickly turn to Essendon’s decision not to capitalise on Merrett’s value when it was higher last year.

But Corbin Middlemas is “still in the other camp”.

“At the time, I understood what Essendon did what it did. I feel like I can understand why they turned that deal down,” he said on Midweek Tackle.

“I thought the deal was just about what Zach Merrett was worth, whereas I think for Hawthorn to try and rip your captain out in the way that it played out, with two years to run on his deal, they needed to pay over the top to get him out.

“They didn’t do that, and now, essentially, they’re going to get what he’s worth, which is one year later, which might be - all said and done - a slightly different deal.

“But I think it was worth rolling the dice at the time … even though it’s panned out the way that it has.”

Ralph, meanwhile, said “everything they wanted to do by keeping him has failed” - but the Bombers are still set to take a draft-pick haul into November.

“(Keeping Merrett) hasn’t helped them keep Jordan Ridley, who wants to go to either of the Queensland-based clubs, and it hasn’t helped them not sack their coach,” he said.

“The only positive is there won’t be an exodus - Kyle Langford and Darcy Parish are likely to stay.

“This is the most important draft in Essendon history. And they could have as many as six or seven picks in the top 25. They’ll get an extra pick when they bid on either Dougie Cochrane or Cody Walker (at number one).

“They’re optimistic they’ll get an AFL assistance package pick at the end of the first round. (And) of course, potentially three picks for Ridley and Merrett.”

Essendon, meantime, has decisions to make on 13 out-of-contract players, as seven weeks remain in its season.

Ralph says calls on that in-limbo contingent won’t be made “until they get a new coach”, as he and Middlemas went into detail on the circumstances surrounding a few of those Bombers.

Jade Gresham

Ralph: “Gresham is the interesting one. He’s got a games-based trigger - he’s played seven games. He’s been told by the club, ‘The reason you’re not playing is not because we don’t want you to tick off that clause, you’re just not playing well enough’.

“He might need to play all the games this year to get that clause. The money is not the $700,000 he secured in the first three years of his tenure there.”

Will Setterfield, Tom Edwards, Jaxon Prior

Ralph: “I think (they) probably get one-year deals.”

Archie Perkins and Elijah Tsatas

Middlemas: “(The Bombers) have shown with what they did with Ben Hobbs last year that they’ll make tough calls, even if they used high picks for them.

“They’re going to be right on the bubble. What’s going to help them is maybe if (the Bombers) get an additional couple of list spots, which is going to be part of that assistance package, but I feel like those guys are going to be right on the bubble.”

Ralph: “And maybe Hirdy - I’m getting ahead of myself - would say ‘they’re my restoration project’.”

Other Bombers without a deal for 2027: Jayden Nguyen, Matt Guelfi, Nik Cox, Rhys Unwin, Saad El-Hawli, Liam McMahon, Kayle Gerreyn.

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