No worries, we’ll keep him for 2 more years then hawthorn can have him for free @ 32
Staggers me the amount of posting about “pUsHes 9 To 13”, we still have the blokes to pick from
2 Likes
Drafting spuds with speculative pics, watching hawthorn win a flag we hand to them, becoming even more uncompetitive because we have no senior players reducing our attractiveness to future high end talent exactly like North are.
Conversely, why are we scared of him coming back?
Strip captaincy from him, make him earn his spot and show the club that a contract you sign means something.
If he wants to leave next season, we are ready to go, prepared and still hold leverage..
3 Likes
Good call mate, got me there.. I still think ZM is far superior but its similar meaning not unprecedented..
2 Likes
I guess we probably differ in where we believe the club is at.
I certainly don’t think we’ll be playing the type of football to attract great players next year. With or without Merrett. I also don’t think we need a ready made replacement for him.
Not directed at you - But I think people are far too emotional about WHERE he wants to go.
Makes no difference to me. People seem to think Merrett guarantees Hawthorn a flag. Far from true.
5 Likes
why would a year, in which we finish dead last and still have Merrett, make us more attractive for top-end talent?
I don’t think we get better giving away our players for below market value.
Keeping a player out of fear of Hawthorn winning a flag with them, instead of trying to use the opportunity to rebuild and improve our list is one of the most idiotic things I’ve ever heard. I don’t give a ■■■■ about other clubs. We need to be doing everything possible to build our next premiership side.
14 Likes
Isn’t he a draft “expert”, not trade? I think he’ll be back on the draft coverage
What if Durham asks out next year?
But if that generational talent doesn’t want to be at our club do you keep him and his poor attitude on the proviso our high end draft selections may be speculative?
Just feels like keeping him in the long term the wrong option IMO
1 Like
Definitely is a unique situation. But not much different to Petracca or Curnow really
1 Like
What if holding Merrett creates an environment other players want to leave?
What if’s are useless.
4 Likes
Fair enough brother, i’m not blind to your perspective.
I”m negative on the club, but i think availability and conditioning has been the biggest issue for the club for 10 years.
I think our best players, playing week in week out makes us a very different proposition.
That’s what i’m hoping next year looks like and that people then view us very differently..
1 Like
We are discussing a hypothetical trade.
1 Like
A little different talking about something that’ll either happen or not in the next day (and been asked for) and next year, but fair play.
2 Likes
Hawks wined and dined Zac and now don’t want to pay up to get a deal done.
Merret should be filthy at them
Well he isn’t and still wants to leave for them so that’s that!
3 Likes
This.
I fkg hate Hawthorn as much as anyone but it’s irrelevant. We either seize this opportunity to move on a guy who will be a culture killer, for peak value, now or let it fester, waste the chance at renewal and do the same dance next year and the year after for diminished returns. Or we don’t and stagnate and further delay what we need to be building towards.
Obviously predicated a bit on the belief that Hawthorn will offer up something very decent which I think will happen in the next 24 hours. We’re all interested to see what that is.
But either way I’d give up the act in the 11th hour and take whatever the best offer is, even if notionally short of being something incredible, because the downside of keeping him around isn’t worth the minor squabbling re: letting the perfect be the enemy of the good.
12 Likes
What if letting Merrett go for peanuts says to other clubs and our contracted players that we fold easily
2 Likes