If that’s the best they can offer I’m ok keeping him. Their 2nd will be in the 30s so that’s a rubbish offer
4 Likes
Thanks SO, it’s genuinely interesting comparing those.
It’s easy to read things into them, now, but I think these are objectively correct:
- Merrett’s pregame speech was as inspiring as a meeting that could’ve been an email
- They only showed one line of McGrath’s pregame speech but it was more natural and passionate, and something like “I’m so fkn excited to get out there with you boys tonight”…interesting point of difference.
- McGrath seemed to take the captain’s role during the game much more seriously (“that’s ok, I like that you did x”, etc).
Again, wary of over-reading, especially with edits of a whole game down to a few mins, but there’s a significant difference in vibes.
(Zach yelling “baaaall!” as he’s tackling a player is pretty cute. Not so much the repeated “Ray!?!?” sooks. Surely he can’t think that actually helps, compared to a dignified and respectful - even if strong - word from the captain.)
3 Likes
Only team that didn’t debut a player this year and were very lucky with injury (apart from Will Day who is always injured, they won’t always have that luck). They’re also losing their depth players this year (Serong, Frost, Hustwaite, potentially McKenzie) and have been trading away their draft picks (Barrass and potentially Merrett). If they get Merrett they will be out of the running for players like Butters next year.
The media is hyping them up right now but they are taking a serious gamble and have gone all in.
3 Likes
don’t care what hawthorn are doing next season.
I’m looking forward to a new look Essendon.
You make a really important point here - and you can add Geelong to this too. A developing side with a one-sided crowd behind them can snare a few extra wins in a season than say a Melbourne-based side. That helps considerably with confidence and camraderie. It also makes the ‘sell’ easier to prospective tradees. This is also why West Coasts performance in recent years is utterly diabolical - they really should have won 4 or 5 this year, not 1.
2 Likes
…the Bulldogs beat Freo at Marvel Stadium like they should have - Hawks finish 9th. I think the Hawthorn cheerleaders forget that. Then they played perennial ‘finals chokers’ in the Giants, and then the Crows suffering severe stagefright and whole state pressure on them.
2 Likes
They actually don’t
A Dogs win over Freo and it’s Freo that finishes 9th. Hawks were guaranteed 8th and still would have been playing GWS
put this thread in non-essendon stuff pls
1 Like
I’ll be pretty ■■■■■■ if we hold him to his contract.
2 Likes
If we haven’t learnt from the Demons debacle of last year, or Daniher, then we deserve to go into 2027 and the Tassie era of compromised drafts with a new coach forced into a rebuild.
4 Likes
He’s the bloke I hate the most in football.
But it’s hard to not be impressed by his uncompromising and unapologetic approach.
But fark him.
6 Likes
Matthew Nicks was pretty good as well. Key takeaway other than his Mum telling the players to put their head over the ball, was that they have been all aligned for a number of years and they will be unwavering from that plan.
Its not the fact that he made an attempt.
It’s how he did it.
Using your own weird analogies, cheating on your wife with her best friend because you dont want to be with her anymore is a vastly different way to end the marriage as opposed to being an adult and communicating with them.
Now in Merretts case being the captain of the club (which dont forget he heavily sought after) its akin to cheating on your wife with her friend, after her parents pass away, you’re the only good thing left in her life and you’ve agreed to help sort through the parents estate 
2 Likes
You stay dirty there @Tbone if you like.
Because he has zero respect or regard for our club and our champions like Hirdy, Jobe and the many others. Putting it bluntly he really is a PoS no matter if he was a good player. I fight fire with fire and then some when confronted with a bad apple like him. Not many figures in the game I truly detest, but Mitchell is one.
And I really find it hard our skipper has decided going to that lot fulfills his dreams or objectives ..
We’re on a new journey and mission. It’ll be without our skipper Zach Merrett. I just hope we grind Hawthorn into the MCG dust next season. Grind.
6 Likes
I feel like it’s too early in the morning to search for what that flog had to say.
We do not actually know the circumstances around Zac and his decision to seek to leave.
if there was a video of his meeting with Brad Scott and others the Friday before he had dinner with Mitchell, it could show a very different story. Now with Gia moving to Hawthorn it adds more intrigue into it as well.
If only players and the club put all this wasted energy into winning matches.
1 Like
Really shows that merrett has never really loved the club, its so odd to hear him talk about wanting team success, it seems he thinks it is just winning a cup, he doesnt care about which team mates or the team he wins it with, as long as he has a premiership medal in his eyes he has been successful.
Its just an odd way to think about things and really shows that we have had the wrong person as captain for this whole time, no wonder our standards havent lifted when your captain is a mercenary
3 Likes
I just watched it. Yer, it’s very good, and it annoys me to admit that on so many levels; particularly as I despise that flog too.
He’s driving a culture of success with data, hard work, exposure and expectation and enjoyment. He has a vision and everyone associated with the club is buying into it.
Compare that with Brad, whos public messaging has been challenged for inadvertently setting a low bar, mixed messaging compared to his actions, rewarding poor performance and not giving opportunity to those whom deserve it, only to see them get their chance somewhere else - not hard to see why Zach has bought in unfortunately.
And people defend Brad - those people should watch Mitchell’s video.
4 Likes
Imagine Zakky streaming out of the back
line in red and black in the first 5 minutes of Rd 1
looking for the release, spots Duz all on his own but due to a “skill error” hits up Ginni 10 metes away inside 50. Wizz Fizz pats him on the lower cheek and Sis runs the length of the G to ruffle his hair.
Bevos dancing was elite.