There’s been remarkably tense scenes in the final moments of the 2025 AFL Trade Period, after Zach Merrett’s Hawks deal fell through and his manager lost his cool.

Merrett’s potential move from Essendon had been the headline story of the entire Trade Period, given the Bombers’ tough stance on not letting him go.

The Hawks offered up pick 10, 22, their 2026 first-round pick and young midfielder Henry Hustwaite, while the Bombers wanted the Hawks’ 2027 first-round pick and a 2026 second-round pick instead of Hustwaite.

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The teams could not come to an agreement and Merrett remains a Bomber which will make things very awkward in the pre-season.

And that led to some dramatic vision from inside both the Bombers and Hawks rooms as player manager Tom Petroro was left “fuming”.

“It is quite frantic at the moment,” Fox Footy’s David Zita reported from Trade HQ.

“Tom Petroro, we got vision of him in the rooms – he does not look overly thrilled at the moment.

“Zach Merrett is playing for Essendon next year the way that this is playing out.

“The vision of Tom Petroro fuming after he wasn’t able to get that deal done … that was quite extraordinary.”

Fox Footy cameras showed Petroro gesturing inside the Bombers rooms before storming into the Hawks where he chucked his phone and wallet onto a table and continued to debate with Hawthorn staff.

“That is incredible vision,” Fox Footy’s Sarah Jones said.

“He’s been trying to get the deal done, trying to bring the clubs together.”

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Two-time premiership Roo David King said it was on the Hawks to satisfy Essendon – and they didn’t make it happen.

“When you promise a club captain to put himself through this to this point, to this extreme, you’ve got to come up with a way to get the deal done. You’ve got to satisfy Essendon,” King said.

“I don’t blame Essendon for playing hard ball here – they’ve come out and made their statements and they’ve stuck by them so full credit to them.

Rosa on Merrett trade situation | 03:31

“I just think when you’re Hawthorn and you’re promising a club captain … it is on you.

“He’s entitled to be furious Zach Merrett.

“No doubt Hawthorn would have said ‘we’ll get this deal done – we’ve got enough big, enough talent on our list that we’ll be able to satisfy the Bombers’ and they haven’t done that.

“I think it’s a real blow for the Hawks tonight – I really do (not getting the Merrett deal done).

“I think the Hawks have left one on the table tonight.

“To fall over this late I think is really disappointing for Zach Merrett and the Hawks.”

Zita believes it was Hawthorn who refused to meet Essendon’s demands of “pick 10, 22, a first-round pick from next year and a future, future first round pick in exchange for Zach Merrett”.

So where does all this drama leave Merrett?

Merrett fails in bid to join Hawks | 01:56

Journalist Jon Ralph warned the Bombers could have a “very disgruntled player” in 2026, but Leigh Montagna said the club and player will move on quickly.

“I think Zach Merrett will continue to be the same Zach Merrett he’s been,” Montagna said.

“He’ll be their best player and he still should lead by example.

“No doubt he’s going to feel somewhat sheepish walking back into the club for the first week … but football clubs are pretty forgiving places.

“They’ll shake hands, get to work and worry about the business that needs to be done on winning games of football.”

Ralph, who described Hawks coach Sam Mitchell as “the greatest salesman of all time”, said the Merrett deal was lacking in two key areas – given former Blue, now Swan Charlie Curnow was able to secure his trade after getting to one of three clubs he said he’d be happy to head to, and having traded players involved from the same management stable.