Zach Merrett Won't Lock In Essendon Future After Trade Chaos
Zach Merrett is not ready to lock in a lifelong Essendon future after last year's trade chaos. The 30-year-old midfielder says he sees himself in red and black at this point in time, but he will not put his next six or seven years in stone.
He made that clear after a period that nearly pushed him out the door last trade period, when Essendon could not strike a deal with Hawthorn on deadline day. Merrett was stripped of the captaincy after his desire to depart The Hangar, and the club reportedly offered him a multi-year deal in March.
Merrett's Red And Black Position
Merrett said he once always saw himself as a Bomber for life, but that view started to change late last year. He said he felt he needed a fresh start and believed the club was in a clear rebuild, a stage where he would have liked the draft picks.
“I always did (see myself as a Bomber for life), which is going to sound silly now given the last six months we’ve had,” Merrett said on SEN’s The Run Home. “I then got to the point late last year where I started to really challenge whether that was a possibility. I felt that I needed a fresh start and felt the club was in a clear rebuild and would have liked the draft picks. I felt like it was a very mutual position to be in.”
Essendon, Hawthorn And The Deadline
Last trade period left the biggest mark on the story. Merrett was almost out the door, but Essendon and Hawthorn never got a deal done on deadline day, leaving him under contract until 2027 while the club reset around him.
He pointed to that uncertainty when explaining why he will not make a hard promise now. “At this point in time I see myself in red and black but after last year I’m not going to put myself in set stone,” he said. “I know that sounds like I’m dodging the question but I’m not going to hold myself (to anything) given last year’s commitment on (Fox Footy’s) AFL360 and then things changed in three months.”
260 Games And Six Or Seven Years
The numbers around Merrett are part of the reason this sits above a routine contract line. He has played 260 games, is 30, and remains contracted until 2027, so his view on the future carries obvious weight for Essendon's long-term planning.
He also framed the issue in terms of how clubs protect their own direction. “Like we’re seeing with Carlton (and Michael Voss), we’re in this surviving space where clubs always have to prioritise themselves and where they’re positioning and what their future looks like,” he said. For Merrett, the immediate answer is simple enough: he sees himself in red and black now, but he will not tie himself to a promise that could age badly.
He ended by putting the rest of his career in perspective. “I’ve played 260 games, I pinch myself every day, I was a chubby cricketer coming through high school. To have played one AFL game still amazes me. I just think I’m in the dream job every day, I’m so fortunate,” Merrett said. “Whatever my career looks like in the next six or seven years will be a blessing.”
