Trade talk - from October 2025 (Part 10)

[efc1robbo]

Yep

Free agency has pretty much killed any chance of the comp being even or possibility for the bottom teams to go up the ladder and stay there

[Aceman]

Definitely for Vic teams. Interstate teams have the to home factor plus on two sides to choose from when a player is looking to move. For the Vic clubs you can take your pick of who is around the mark

[sausageroll]

I’d aim for the hawkers 2027 f1, This years 2nd

Done deal for Merrett.

We will have compo this year which we can bundle with this years second from them to move up.

And having two firsts next season gives us a nice backstop to bring in the academy stuff after hopefully one pointy end open draft selection.

[Ants]

@Lawry

@CJohns

Between pick 21-30…only Emmett has played seniors this year (4 games). That’s in the Hawks pick 22 offer range

So the Hawks offer for Merrett was rubbish

LOL, some people make up or follow nonsense to cope.

[dons85]

no top 10 pick = crap deal. Its a pretty simple concept

[Ants]

So name the obviously better deals from the last decade.

Also, we did get a top 10 pick. It became later, but to have got a top 10 pick on draft night would have meant getting a top 5 pick. That would have been pretty unrealistic.

[dons85]

Last 10 years?
The Curnow and Petracca deals were better so you don’t have to look that far back.
Weller for pick 2, rankine for pick 5, Prestia, Rioli, May, Hogan and Cerra all went for pick 6. All of these were more valuable to us than the chump change the hawks were offering.

[Aceman]

Weller was absolute bonkers but Suns were a feeling club and had plenty of picks to throw at players as no one wanted to go there.

Petracca and Curnow both had 4 years to run on their contracts and both are not only younger than Zach but better players so absolutely should cost more.

As for the others, if clubs are prepared to pay overs then so be it.

I wil always maintain it was a good deal and his non trade has hurt us massively

[Ants]

@dons85

Last 10 years?
The Curnow and Petracca deals were better so you don’t have to look that far back.
Weller for pick 2, rankine for pick 5, Prestia, Rioli, May, Hogan and Cerra all went for pick 6. All of these were more valuable to us than the chump change the hawks were offering.

Incorrect. The Curnow and Petracca deals were about the same amount at the time (see below). Rankine deal was no better; the offer was better than pick #6 on its own.

Lachie Weller I’d say is about the same. WCE gave up pick #2 for #8 and #11 (mostly) in 2022, so I’d say similar value.

Rankine etc same. If we’d wanted #6 last year we probably could have got it for the Merrett picks.

@Ants

@Lawry

@Aceman

Of course it was a monumental stuff up. We could have had one or two kids getting a year of development into them and then you through in the destabilising effect it has had on the group to some extent and it’s just been a wasted opportunity.

They were rubbish picks. The deal was not compelling.

Also at @nickers.

Some Blitzers don’t seem to understand that the deal was comparable with the Curnow and Petracca deals, and call the picks rubbish or the deal not compelling. It was comparable, and the picks were good. Let’s ignore Hustwaite as its clear we didn’t want him and I don’t think anyone valued him. Therefore the final offer was #10, #22 and Hawthorn’s F1 for Merrett. Nothing going back. Let’s compare that to the other two deals (for players who were younger and contracted for longer).

Things to consider below:

• 2027 picks (FF_) are effectively one round later for teams in the finals. Who all of Sydney, Hawks, Gold Coast would be expected to be. So a FF1 is really a FF2 as it will be pushed back ~10 spots.
• We know what a bevy of later picks were worth last year, since we saw what the deals could be. We have real life examples of what a bunch of picks could be turned into.
  • We traded #21, #27, #30 for picks #9 and #43 (#43 was second round still).
  • North traded #25, #46 and (their) F2 for picks #11 and #54.
  • Hawks traded #22 and (their) F2 for pick #17
• That future picks are worth less than picks in the current draft.

Merrett vs Petracca
The Petracca deal was the player plus #24, #28, F2 for #7, #8, #37, F1, FF3

• Similar: #8 vs #10, F1 vs F1
• Pretty meaningless: FF3 (really a 4th due to Tassie)
• Leaving: #22 (Merrett deal) versus #7 and #37 with #24, #28 and F2 back. Rearranged, becomes #7 and #37 vs #22, #24, #28 and F2

Given the deals that happened last year, the above #22, #24, #28 can be viewed as around the value of #9 and #43. Which makes it #9, #43 and F2 (Melbourne) versus #7 and #37.

Result : Differences of a handful of pick positions in Petracca’s favour, but an additional second to Merrett to offset. Pretty close. Melbourne do way better than expected has probably swung things a little in the Petracca deal’s benefit as that F2 is worth less than expected.

Merrett vs Curnow
The Curnow deal was the player plus #31, #42, FF2 for Hayward, #11, F1 and FF1.

• Similar: #10 vs #11, F1 vs F1
• Meaningless: the F2 and FF1 given by Carlton and Sydney pretty much offset since the F1 is effectively a second rounder due to Tassie. The F2 being linked to Carlton may actually be viewed as more valuable than Sydney’s FF1.
• Leaving: #22 versus Carlton giving up #31 and #42 for Hayward. Or, switched around, is Hayward worth #22, #31 and #42? Opinions will vary. I would say no, but it’s not hugely overpaying either. I certainly don’t think it is getting him cheap though! #22, #31, #42 could definitely have been traded up for pick #17 or better, and I don’t think Hayward had a first rounder valuation.

Result : pretty much a line ball unless you rate Hayward as worth a lot more than #22, #31 and #42. If you rate Hayward less then Curnow deal was worse.

Summary
Both deals were of similar value. I’d probably say Petracca was a bit better (partly due to Melbourne doing far better this year than 2024 or 2025), but I think the Curnow deal was a bit worse. But, given both players were younger than Merrett, both had longer contracts, and that I think most neutrals would rate Petracca as the better player than Merrett, I believe anyone being objective would struggle to say the Merrett deal wasn’t of comparable, and thus fair, value.

And this all ignores whether we’d have done what Hawks did and trade back to net two additional 2027 seconds.

[dons85]

Top 5 picks are far more valuable than a combination of picks in the teens/twenties. Thats just the way it is. If Hawks offered us a top 5 pick, we would have taken it imo.

[Brick_loves_lamp]

Lets just declare everyone the winner of the Merrett non-trade argument and walk away.

[sausageroll]

@dons85

Top 5 picks are far more valuable than a combination of picks in the teens/twenties. Thats just the way it is. If Hawks offered us a top 5 pick, we would have taken it imo.

If they had a top 5 they should take it to the draft themselves tbh.

I’d aim for points for our 2027 academy talent. Some of it looks to be good enough to be a top 10 pick.

Given how much DVI Tassie has next season and the new bidding rules 2027 picks are like gold for us.

Thats probably the most win win deal for us save a decent young talent being squeezed out of the hawks that’s on their list already.

[Fazza05]

Yes we should have traded Merrett last year. The big problem was Hawthorn were arrogant about it, they wooed Zac and should have been on the front foot from day 1 of trade period to get the deal done. They did not and thought they could wait until 48 hours before it closed to start low balling thinking we would cave.

That’s on Hawthorn, we held the cards and I believe if they did bend over backwards to get the deal done and go hard from day 1 the deal would have been done, instead they sat on their hands and waited being the arrogant ■■■■■ they are.

[jamesm]

Who cares anymore he goes this year etc etc

[ClaphamBomber]

Just get the cancer out and get the other senior cancer in Ridley out too. Gut the place.

Our former captain and vice captain, fleeing a sinking ship, what a mess.

I hope Zac is playing still when we get to having a tilt for the flag.

[Houli_Dooli]

Fans Position on Merrett

• Trade Merrett this year, even if poor outcome draft pick wise
• If trade offer is not sufficient, hold Merrett until free agency

[westie]

Part of me wants to see the hawks win the flag this year.

I mean that would break all of us, but for Merrett, ■■■■ that would hurt.

[Houli_Dooli]

@westie

Part of me wants to see the hawks win the flag this year.

[Clone_Hirdy]

@unieeq

I have been informed that we have now offered the biggest contract for Walter, if it is down to money he is coming.

Walter’s reaction to the Essendon deal

[Aceman]

@westie

Part of me wants to see the hawks win the flag this year

Confirmed

Nino got banned for less