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FRESH DONS INTEREST IN RIVAL DUO AS MERRETT MOVE GATHERS STEAM<\/p>\n
Essendon has interest in a Bulldog and a Sun \u2013 and would be \u201cmuch more open\u201d to trading Zach Merrett at season\u2019s end compared to last year, reports 7News Melbourne\u2019s Mitch Cleary.<\/p>\n
The Bombers will be one of the big storylines of the off-season, with the club set to have one of the earliest picks in the national draft \u2013 potentially Pick 1 \u2014 while it could look to negotiate the exits of Merrett<\/a> and Jordan Ridley, who both entertained rival-club moves during last year\u2019s trade period but ultimately stayed at Essendon.<\/p>\n The club remains on the hunt for a new coach after Brad Scott was sacked in late May.<\/p>\n Speaking on The Agenda Setters on Wednesday night<\/a>, Cleary said Merrett would likely seek a trade again \u201cdespite what happens with the coach\u201d, adding the Bombers \u201cwill be much more open to trading him this October than they were last October\u201d.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the Bombers are a club to \u201cwatch closely\u201d, according to Cleary, in the race for Bulldog Arty Jones, who remains unsigned beyond this season.<\/p>\n Merrett hits back at ‘obsessive’ critics | 01:31<\/p>\n Jones, who\u2019s in the middle of a career-best AFL season with 12 goals from 10 games, has a contract offer from the Bulldogs, as well as rival interest from West Coast.<\/p>\n But Cleary said the Bombers were also in the mix for 22-year-old Jones, who\u2019ll use the Bulldogs\u2019 bye period \u201cto work through his future\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re obviously looking to bolster their front half. He\u2019s a player in the right age demographic for the Essendon footy club,\u201d Cleary told Channel 7.<\/p>\n \u201cWith Zach Merrett potentially heading for the exit door, they\u2019re going to have first-round picks to work with to lure a player like Arty Jones.\u201d<\/p>\n And you can add Essendon to the list of clubs interested in fringe Gold Coast midfielder Alex Davies, who played six games this season before suffering a foot injury that has kept him sidelined since Round 9.<\/p>\n Foxfooty.com.au<\/a> reported last month<\/a> that Davies, whose Suns contract expires at the end of the year, was \u201cmore open to the idea of a move away from Carrara at season\u2019s end\u201d.<\/p>\n Cleary on Wednesday night said \u201cthere\u2019s a few clubs in Victoria\u201d looking at Davies.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a bit of a forgotten man at the Gold Coast Suns,\u201d Cleary said.<\/p>\n Mitchell shuts down rival club rumours | 01:19<\/p>\n \u201cEssendon you can put in that conversation. St Kilda, we know they\u2019re having a look also at Lachie Neale, but if they miss on someone like Lachie Neale, a player like Alex Davies won\u2019t come too expensive.<\/p>\n \u201cIf he doesn\u2019t get an opportunity in the second half of the year, he\u2019s looking for the exit door.\u201d<\/p>\n TWO CLUBS KEEPING TABS ON BREAKOUT EAGLE<\/p>\n Much-improved Eagle Bailey Williams has attracted interest from at least two Victorian clubs, reports AFL Media\u2019s Riley Beveridge<\/a>.<\/p>\n The West Coast ruck has been one of his club\u2019s most improved players this season, taking over from Matt Flynn as the Eagles\u2019 No. 1 ruck to play 10 games and average a career-high 13.8 disposals, 11.0 contested possessions, 5.1 clearances and 26.0 hit-outs.<\/p>\n But Williams remains unsigned beyond this season and is eligible to exercise free agency rights.<\/p>\n AFL Media reported on Wednesday that Geelong was \u201camong the sides keen on Williams\u201d, while the Western Bulldogs were \u201calso monitoring his situation\u201d.<\/p>\n Williams, 26, has played 98 games since being drafted out of the Dandenong Stingrays with Pick 35 in the 2018 national draft.<\/p>\n Schofield: We need professional umpires | 01:51<\/p>\n