It’s an image at once familiar and, in ordinary times, uninteresting – a footy club’s best player returning to training. But these have not been ordinary times at Essendon.
After the fractiousness and rancour of Zach Merrett’s unsuccessful attempt to be traded to Hawthorn during the recent trade period, the idea of this year’s Essendon captain returning to training is noteworthy.
The Bombers embraced Zach Merrett as he made his official return to training.Credit: Essendon FC
Merrett returned to the track for pre-season early on Friday morning with teammates at the club. The star onballer, who only weeks ago won his sixth best-and-fairest award at the time he was agitating to leave the club, stepped out at 7.30am with the first-to-fourth-year players for a full session at “the Hangar”.
While most of the senior players are now also back, the full list does not return to train until November 24.
It was reported that Merrett had been a no-show at teammate Andy McGrath’s off-season wedding, but McGrath had known late in the season, and well before the controversy of the end-of-season trade request, that Merrett was unable to attend as he was going to be in the US at another wedding.
Brad Scott (left) and Merrett share a laugh at the star onballer’s first day back at pre-season training since his failed trade request.Credit: Essendon FC
Still, Merrett’s return presented as a slightly uncomfortable moment for him, given he aggressively pushed to leave the club he has lead as captain since 2023.
The Bombers said when Merrett asked for a trade they would almost certainly not trade him, given he had two years to run on his contract. The Hawks offered a package of three draft picks late in the trade period but could not tempt the Bombers from holding the firm line on not trading their biggest star.
Merrett wasted no time getting into the swing of things with his teammates.Credit: Essendon FC