Essendon great James Hird says Melbourne is a cautionary tale when it comes to how the Bombers should handle skipper Zach Merrett.
The Bombers insist Merrett will be held to the final two years of his contract, despite the star midfielder having blindsided the club last month by meeting with Hawthorn.
Merrett, however, has yet to request a trade.
Essendon captain Zach Merrett at the Brownlow.Credit: Getty Images
Hird said the Hawks needed to show Merrett how a deal could be done.
“If Zach is going to leave or wants to leave, he is going to have to move reasonably quickly. But the message is right – Hawthorn have to actually show how they are going to do it in a reasonable way. It’s on them to do that,” Hird told Trade Radio on Tuesday.
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“There are so many factors that come into play if you are Essendon, too. How far away do you think you are from challenging, how far away from finals, who are the players in this year’s draft or next year’s draft and potentially think can assist you in building a list. Put all that together and say: ‘Is it worth getting a couple of picks and something else, or do we just sit on Zach and see what happens?’”
Hird said the Bombers needed to be mindful of what’s transpired at the Demons with Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca when it came to Merrett.
The Demons refused to trade either midfielder last year, despite both men keen to start afresh elsewhere. The Demons would also have received a greater return than they now will a year on, with Petracca on his way to Gold Coast, and Oliver told to explore his options.
“I think Melbourne’s story is a really interesting story for Essendon. You don’t want then next year to be giving him away for less,” Hird said.