Really good article by Chris De Silva on that topic today
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Good article and heās right about Hawthornās strategy to highlight Merrettās senior citizen status rather than poiny up top ten picks or good players. Even Zachās manager highlighted his age when pleading to Essendon.
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Spot on!
As a few have mentioned in the thread above, We need to view Zack as just another professional and emotionally detach from what heās done for the club and treat it like business as we definitely know even if he changes his mind (highly unlikely as most talks in the background begin halfway through the season anyway) the damage done with the wider fan base and some key personnel seems to be irreparable unless we were going to be jump into the premiership window in the coming 2 yrs.
We should just start strategizing from Day 1 on the proviso that heās gone next year and how can we position the trade to get maximum benefit. Ideally, we also focus on getting some guys if possible (ala butters/ reid) and also, Iād try and mount a secret mission to poach one of the hawthorn guys - just to make sure I feed my inner lucifer.
Time will tell, eh!
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We get alot of flak about players not wanting to come to Essendon.
The one thing the numbers donāt convey is quality of player. One Buddy does not equal one McKay
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Merrett needs to come out and explain why he would only consider Hawthorn. Heās using the āEssendon is too crap for meā argument but that doesnāt explain why he wasnāt prepared to go to other clubs. Gold Coast, Collingwood and Adelaide would all have been interested.
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loved this sentence in the articleā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦.
There was a comedic aspect to Merrettās manager, Tom Petroro, trying to claim Hawthornās package for Merrett as being the best heād ever seen for a 30-year-old, all while Melbourne was in the process of receiving something greater from the Suns for a player virtually the same age.
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Sorry, tell a lie. Brad does come up on the mobile site. Just couldnāt see him when looking at desktop
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I wonder if he gets paid less if he loses the captaincyā¦
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Itās fairly clear that Petroro was saying ā that footage was me telling Rob McKenzie to tell Essendon to get farked ā after we asked for four ā1st roundersā and future 2nd 
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This article nails it. A top 10 pick means something whereas a first round pick may not.
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Additionally, they chose to downgrade /make worse what was almost certainly the best - and only truly enticing - of those vaunted ā1st roundersā .
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Absolutely 
Although Hawthorn wanted Mc Kay basically as much as we did.
I wonder how Mc Kay wouldāve gone at the Hawksā¦
I get the sense the Eagles were quietly cheering Vozzo & Rosa on after their ā ā ā ā ā ā Hawks experience with Allen and Barrass.
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My take on this:
https://x.com/traderadio/status/1978376289527509069?s=46
Petroro walked in, pointed at Rob and says āItās on you. You just lost Zac Merrettā
Walks past McKenzie and heās not surprised.
Then he throws down his phone and calls FFS on the 2nd offer. āThatās not going to get it doneā
Then he points at EFCs box and says they were crystal clear on picks. They donāt want Husthwaite. They havenāt even met the kid. And the 2nd offer is as bad as the first. What do you expect?
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In fact most clubs were probably in our camp. ā ā ā ā Hawthorn
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I think Essendon thought Hawthorn would say scratch that 2027 second rounder and you have a deal. Instead of just shutting the laptop and walking away.
They were confident enough in him to pay him 1.3M till heās 35.
10 becomes 15
22 ~ 28
16 ~ 21
27 ~ 31
15,21,28, 31 is an excellent deal for Merrett. I would have taken it if I were them to be honest.
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And that means theyāve now downgraded their own pick. I hope Fark Carlton take the player Hawthorn want.
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If Mrs Merrett is upset about the non move, as rumoured, then I donāt think it can be repaired. Heās not gonna enjoy coming home from training and getting the third degree.
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Sheāll still enjoy her weekend joyrides in the lambo though
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