Essendon captain Zach Merrett has met with Hawthorn heavyweights including coach Sam Mitchell as he continues to explore a move away from the club he leads.
Nine’s Tom Morris reported Merrett and his manager Tom Petroro joined Mitchell and Hawks footy boss Rob McCartney at a home on Tuesday night.
The story broke just minutes after Mitchell held his weekly press conference at Waverley Park.
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It is a major development in the Merrett saga and shows just how interested the 251-game superstar is in leaving Tullamarine, despite being contracted until the end of 2027.
Merrett is keen for success but has never won a final in his career, despite his best efforts.
Merrett’s camp has also made contact with Collingwood and the Western Bulldogs, according to the report.
On Monday night Morris reported the Essendon board “unanimously agreed that Merrett would not be traded under any circumstances”.
A meeting between Merrett, Petroro and the Bombers’ higher-ups two weeks ago left the midfielder “restless” according to SEN’s Sam Edmund.
“This involved Matt Rosa, the still relatively new list boss. The chief executive, Craig Vosso and Merrett’s manager, Tom Petroro. Now, in this meeting, Merrett asked a series of questions of the club hierarchy, particularly around its playing list,” he said on Crunch Time last weekend.
“And my understanding is that the answers that came back to him didn’t exactly fill the captain with a great deal of optimism, particularly when the conversation turned to the pending departures of Sam Draper and the lack of replacement options.
“So, the concern is clearly, as they embark on this draft first list strategy and the experienced players depart, this is exposing an underbelly that doesn’t appeal to a player who is 30 years of age and just pines for success.”
Essendon coach Brad Scott is scheduled to appear on Fox Footy’s AFL 360 tonight.
This is the second time Sam Mitchell has met with a sitting club captain this season, after catching up with West Coast’s Oscar Allen earlier in the year.