Essendon legend James Hird has torn into the “rubbish” public mud-slinging between the Bombers and their captain Zach Merrett.
Both parties are believed to be leaking information to journalists as Merrett’s camp agitates for a contract release so he can join AFL rivals Hawthorn.
The latest allegation is said to have left the five-time club medal winner devastated.
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On Monday, Seven’s senior reporter Caroline Wilson claimed Merrett had shown “little acts of selfishness” which included disrespecting the club’s AFLW team during a training session recently.
Wilson claimed Merrett acted disrespectfully by kicking balls and getting in the way of AFLW players. The Herald Sun later clarified the skipper had taken four shots on goal as part of additional training he had organised with Ben Brown, who works with the AFLW team, before moving away from the area.
Reports on Tuesday said Merrett is believed to have been stunned by the allegations aired on Seven, and is confident the leak came from within the club and planted a week after he met with Hawks coach Sam Mitchell.
Essendon legend James Hird (right) has gone into bat for Zach Merrett. Nine
Hird – the club’s last legitimate Brownlow Medal winner – can’t believe the relationship has deteriorated to this point in such a short space of time.
“This guy is going to win his sixth best and fairest, he’s been there 12 years, he’s done so much for that club,” Hird said on Nine’s Footy Classified.
“All I want is the best for Essendon. I would love to see Zach and the club make up and go back together.
“What is disappointing, though, is the negative stuff that has come out about Zach.
“I’ve coached the guy, he is a wonderful person, a person of high integrity, who has worked his backside off. He is the hardest worker I’ve coached at any level.
“Some of the stuff that’s come out about him, some of the rubbish, I just think the club and him have to come together so that sort of stuff doesn’t come out again, because it’s not good for either party.”
Merrett, 29, has been Essendon’s best midfielder for a number of years and took the captaincy from Dyson Heppell.
Hird, Heppell, Matthew Lloyd and Jobe Watson organised a sit-down with Merrett earlier this season as the former club captains looked to lend some support to the current skipper amid a dire campaign.
Hird doesn’t blame Merrett for now wanting to quit his deal, which has two years left and is reportedly earning him $850,000 a season.
Nine’s Tom Morris on Tuesday revealed the Bombers have tabled an upgrade worth $700,000 over the next two years, but Morris says Merrett’s desire to leave is “not about the money”.
“I’ve got no doubt Zach Merrett has pushed the envelope as far as he thinks he can to drive the standards as high as he possibly can at the club,” Hird said.
“So when you say ‘what has he done?’, my impression is he’s gone to the utmost to do whatever he could to bring the highest level of professionalism to that club.
“If he wins his sixth and his seventh (club medals) he is up there with Bill Hutchison and Dick Reynolds, the two greatest players – along with John Coleman – who have played at that club. If he wins an eighth that is the most anyone has won at Essendon, that is legendary status.
Zach Merrett of the Bombers looks dejected. AFL Photos via Getty Images
“He may be (already gone), but if I was at Essendon now I’d still be reaching out to try bring him back in.
“He is an Essendon person. I don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes.
“(Head coach) Brad Scott has another two years on his contract… What they should be doing is trying to work out how they perform to the best of their ability next year, and not having these internal fights which end up in the media.”
Merrett is poised to win his sixth Essendon medal next week, and should be the club’s highest vote getter at Monday’s Brownlow Medal, but it is unclear if he will even sit on the Bombers table.
Morris revealed club CEO Craig Vozza and coach Scott separately sent text messages to Merrett this week “asking how he is”.
“I don’t think he is going OK, it has been a terrible week,” Morris said.