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“Under any circumstances”: Essendon board make call on Merrett's future
Jaiden Sciberras • September 9th, 2025 9:18 pm
The Essendon board has taken a firm stance on captain Zach Merrett, informing the captain's camp that he will not be traded from the club under any circumstances.
As reported by 9News journalist and SEN regular Tom Morris, the Bombers' board met late last night to discuss the future of their club captain, unanimously deciding that the star midfielder would not be traded from the club.
This comes as reports have widely suggested that the 29-year-old has been weighing up significant interest from rival clubs, with his commitment to Essendon far from unwavering in recent weeks.
Merrett, whose contract with the Bombers ends in 2027, reportedly had a meeting with high-ranking club officials about the direction of the club in days past, having played 251 games without a finals win.
That being said, the club has stood firm, communicating with the five-time Best and Fairest winner that he will don the sash in 2026 and beyond.
“We still don’t know what he’s thinking as he weighs up interest from several clubs,” Morris told 9News.
“What I can tell you tonight is that Essendon’s board sought to get ahead of the issue last night. At a scheduled board meeting, the Dons directors unanimously agreed that Merrett would not be traded under any circumstances.
“This firm directive was then relayed to his manager Tom Petroro a few hours later. It remains to be seen whether they’ll hold this hard-line stance until deadline day, but that is certainly what it is right now.”
