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Despite officially requesting a trade, skipper Zach Merrett – arguably the biggest story of the trade period– is still at Essendon.
Hawthorn failed to satisfy Essendon at the deadline, and Merrett now faces a rather awkward return back to his club.
Zach Merrett will stay at Essendon.Credit: AFL Photos
Former Essendon player Tim Watson spoke on SEN Breakfast and said “there’s a lot of work to be done”.
“I’m not comfortable with the way it played out, it goes to the heart of your club and how it’s operating when your captain wants to get out,” Watson said.
“There’s a lot of work to be done to repair that relationship between him and the club. He didn’t feel like it was going to deliver what he wanted.
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“There’s a relationship that needs to be built, they need to listen to each other. I like the fact the club took a strong stand in all this. It was never part of their strategy. Their plan was to being in as many picks as they could.”
Watson said Merrett was “by far their best player,” and said there was “nothing in his DNA” to suggest he won’t deliver on his role.
“You can’t ignore this has taken place. I know Andrew Welsh through this has been telling Zach ‘we love you, we want to keep you’.
“They were not trying to facilitate him moving so he is staying at a club that wants him and loves him.”
