#7 Zerrett - Welcome to Hotel California

Football Discussion Dustin Fletcher Hangar
5246

Proud to say I’m one of the nuffies
The whole thing was so obviously set up by the hawks to diminish our bargaining power in a trade.
They pulled the same stunt with Oscar Allen and he was so ■■■■■■ with them, he’s gone to the lions.
Zac was disappointed with our lack of progress (aren’t we all), and couldn’t see a light at the end of the tunnel.
We absolutely should not be dealing with the hawks because

  1. They have done this to further weaken our team
  2. Its the hawks and Mitchell
  3. We need Zac
  4. Its the hawks and Mitchell
    5 Zac has enough brownie points for you (others) to forgive and forget
    What Essendon supporter in their right mind would want to trade their captain and best players to the hawks for way less than he’s worth - because they have nothing to give us and they won’t give up anything of value
7 Likes
5247

We should do whatever has the team pulling in the same direction and working as a team. It doesn’t matter whether it strengthens Hawthorn or not. That is an irrelevant factor.

6 Likes
5248

I don’t buy this

We don’t “need” anybody that really doesn’t want to be there

It might set us back, but in the long run, it may well turn out to be better

21 Likes
5249

We don’t need any one player. No player is bigger than the team.

6 Likes
5250

Correct.

Hard to walk back now though, ZM got his wish, no more Barham, no more rebuild.

I expect 2-3 early losses next year and we’ll have a “new” coach. We’re on the worst timeline here, folks.

5251

Seems our administration specialise in not reading the room.

1 Like
5252

If you burn your trade targets often enough, players are going to stop wanting to be a trade target.

5253

So does Merrett think we’re only a couple of good trades away from being a finals competitive side?

5254

We’re in Schrödinger’s rebuild right now and whether it is still happening or not is different for each Blitzer who looks in the box.

Personally, I haven’t seen any specific decisions or actions that means the club is shifting from Rosa’s four year list plan. Their plan was to obviously keep Merrett for this and it’s just whether they take advantage of this opportunity or not (I hope they do).

8 Likes
5255

Why is he still here?

5 Likes
5256

I did think that, but I also think Mitchell is exactly arrogant enough to believe that winning matters more to most players and that anything he can do to help his team win comes first and anything he can do to stop other teams competing comes second. I don’t think Mitchell or anyone currently at the Hawks cares that they didn’t get Allen and I don’t think any of them will give a ■■■■ if they don’t get Merrett. And I’m also confident that as long as they keep winning next year, they’ll keep getting interest from players wanting to go to a team that does everything it can to win flags. That’s the draw card.

5257

On paper Darcy in Draper out looks ok…but I think a lot were comfortable rolling with Bryan and having a year again in bottom 4 and hitting the next 2 drafts hard 2025+2026

Darcy is simply a sugar hit. And will take up a huge chunk of salary, and potentially impact our draft hand we could have had.

Fiorini, Darcy, Flanders - none of them are star but may help us stay in the 8-11 range.

If Darcy comes - I would also offer up some of our WA boys to be part of the trade - Guelfi, Edwards, Blakiston as it will help with list spots.

5258

We should let this drag out with the hawk as long as possible before confirming we are not trading him. Do not leave the hawks any time to go for a backup option like Petracca. At the end of the trade period they’ll be seen to have stuffed up and not improved their list in the one area they need to be able to contend. In fact, it’ll get weaker losing Worpel

4 Likes
5259

If we give up a pick in the top 40 for Sean fkg Darcy then we’re not rebuilding, end of.

3 Likes
5260

Agreed. Darcy only makes sense if we are buying picks with cap space.

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5261

The gap in this idea is that if we drag it out, they could just sign Petracca to close the door on Merrett and us. Nothing I have read or heard gives the indication that the Hawks can for Merrett, it seems as though he went to them and in that framing, they are no worse off if they don’t get him. He would be great for them and Petracca would probably work ok too. This is why I want us to get more clubs involved in the deal, make sure Merrett goes to the hawks for a fair price by making sure Petracca goes somewhere else.

5262

it could be just to force Hawks hands a little, here’s hoping.

There’s still a lot of time until trade period opens and closes

5263

I don’t think it’s wild at all. Some were pushing for a deeper rebuild, more senior exits and a longer timeline which Merrett reportedly did not want to sign up for. Since Welsh came in, it seems the vision has pivoted toward backing the existing core and adding more top end talent through trades and the draft rather than stripping it right back. It is a direction change. Which path is right? We will know in a few years.

3 Likes
5264

IMo the 4D chess ‘inflating Merrett value’ angle is wishful thinking. As per above post think it is clear cut that the board push was a battle between cutting deeper and longer or going back the other way.

All we need to do now is add Shiel, Stringer, Saad and Smith and we are bound for glory again.

1 Like
5265

This whole post proves why you are proud to be one of those then. Im sorry but thats utter garbage if thats your way of thinking we NEED him. Even Stevie wonder can see that

3 Likes