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Hawks star comments on club’s pursuit of Merrett
Andrew Slevison • September 15th, 2025 10:16 am
Hawthorn’s Jarman Impey has commented on the club’s pursuit of Essendon’s Zach Merrett.
The Hawks have met with the Bombers captain which sent the media cycle into overdrive last week.
It could have served as a distraction in the lead-up to Friday night’s Semi-Final clash with the Crows in Adelaide, but Impey insists he and his teammates were completely focused on the footy and not off-field matters.
Impey does admit it is a touchy subject for a player to comment on his club’s pursuit of a rival, but he does know that Merrett is a quality footballer who would be a major asset for the Hawks.
“I feel like it didn’t get to the group whatsoever,” Impey said on SEN’s Fireball.
“We’ve got a job to do and clearly there’s people amongst the football club that have jobs to do and some of that is to recruit.
“I’m sure there’s been a lot of recruiting behind the scenes and this one has got out. I definitely think it’s unfortunate the way that it has got out and the news articles that has happened with it.
“It’s a touchy one to mention anything, especially as a player so I might leave that.
“What I will say is that Zach is a quality player, a quality leader and we would like to have him at the Hawks because he is quality.”
Merrett talk aside, the Hawks will meet Geelong in the Preliminary Final on Friday night.
Impey cannot wait for the penultimate clash with one eye to a potential Grand Final berth.
“It’s amazing, we’ve made the prelim, we’ve got the Cats. It’s going to be a big one at the ‘G,” Impey said of the clash with the Cats.
“There’s a lot of history there with Geelong and Hawthorn. You’ve just got to look forward to it.
“This is why we play football, right, to be in these big games. Yes, we can’t look past, that is cliche to say, but we also do know that if we win this one it’s the Grand Final the next game.
“We’re not looking past Geelong whatsoever, they’ve got quality coaches, quality players all over the park, so it’s going to be a huge contest.
“Hopefully a bit of luck our way and we can win and get the chocolates.”
The Hawks meet the Cats at the MCG this Friday night from 7:40pm AEST.
The winner will take on either Collingwood or Brisbane in the 2025 AFL Grand Final.
