Sam Mitchell Calls Scott's Merrett Reveal Good TV
sam mitchell brushed off Brad Scott's bombshell about Zach Merrett with a line that landed as plainly as the trade talk itself: “I was a bit like everyone else – good TV.” Hawthorn's coach said the club had interest in Merrett last year, but the move never got there because Essendon blocked it.
Mitchell on Scott's reveal
Mitchell was responding on Wednesday to Scott's claim a night earlier that he would have let Merrett go to Hawthorn last year and still would. He called it “an interesting comment” and added: “When you hear the coach say he wanted something different from the football club, it's not completely unexpected, I suppose,” before saying, “But hearing it publicly like that was interesting.”
He then put Hawthorn's role in plain terms. “We obviously had a fair bit of interest in Zach... that didn't come to fruition, which was out of our control, we thought,” Mitchell said. “So we'll soldier on with this year and see how we can go, and make sure we're giving ourselves the best chances and we'll see if we can improve our list later on.”
Hawthorn's blocked move
The backdrop dates back to last year's Trade Period, when Essendon blocked Merrett's attempt to join Hawthorn. That failed move has stayed in the story because Merrett is expected to seek a move again at the end of this season, keeping his future tied to a club that has already shown interest and another that has already said no.
Scott's comments came in his first interview since being sacked as Essendon coach, which added another layer to an already public trade story. Hawthorn's interest did not turn into a deal then, and Mitchell's response made clear the club is not reopening the episode in public, even with Merrett back in the conversation.
Merrett and Hird
Merrett also spoke on Tuesday night about James Hird and kept his focus on that relationship rather than the speculation around his own future. “I can only go off our relationship. It's very strong,” he said, calling Hird “a great mentor and someone I can always confide in.”
He added, “From that perspective, I really get on well with him. He's a got a great viewpoint on the game.” His final line carried the same tone of careful distance from the noise: “In terms of coaching, it's just such a good one for headlines. I'm not sure if it will eventuate or not.”
For Hawthorn, the immediate takeaway is simple: the club tried once, missed out, and Mitchell is not turning Scott's public version into a fresh recruitment chase. For Essendon, the trade talk keeps circling Merrett anyway, and his name is still the one that pulls the conversation back toward the end of this season.
