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Any trade that would see Zach Merrett join Hawthorn will have to be approved by the Essendon Football Club board, who have taken a strong stance on the potential defection of their six-time best and fairest winner.
Whereas the Bombers’ football department could approve of a deal with Hawthorn, the trade would still need board approval, according to a senior club source speaking anonymously. This veto power is in an environment in which Essendon’s hierarchy, headed by new president and former player Andrew Welsh, have been heavily involved in the Merrett situation.
Although the Hawks are keen to get their hands on Essendon skipper Zach Merrett, the halfway mark of the trade period is upon us and the two clubs are yet to engage in a serious negotiations.Credit: Getty Images
That the board headed by Welsh, and which includes his friend and the club’s 2000 premiership hero Dean Solomon, has a right of veto over a Merrett deal adds to the high stakes involved, placing pressure on Hawthorn to come up with a deal that can satisfy Essendon, from the top down.
During this trade period, there have been no meaningful discussions between Hawthorn and Essendon over Merrett, according to sources from both clubs. Merrett has not yet formally requested a trade at the time of writing, but has made plain his wish to join Hawthorn ever since he met with the club’s senior coach Sam Mitchell in September.
Welsh, who played 162 games for the Bombers before a successful property development career, met with Merrett shortly before taking over the presidency from David Barham.
The view of both clubs is that the trade talks could begin early next week, but the Bombers are holding firm with their line that they will not be trading Merrett, privately noting that their skipper has met with rival clubs, such as Collingwood and Carlton, in the past.
Hawthorn has indicated that they would trade their first draft pick, currently No.9, which it acquired from Carlton, but there has been no clear signal of which players would be on the table. Merrett’s manager, Tom Petroro, also may need to find a player from a third club to broker a deal, but is well-placed to broker a deal given he also handles Mitchell.
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