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Merrett or Butters: Who should Hawthorn pursue?
SEN ⢠ August 22nd, 2025 10:38 am
David King wonders if Zach Merrett could be gettable for a contender.
The Essendon captain has often been spoken about as a big-name player who could perhaps have his head turned by the lure of success.
Merrett, 29, continues to toil away with a struggling Bombers side and his name continues to be thrown up as one who could be a trade target for teams at the top end.
King suggested that Hawthorn could be one team in the mix for a player like Merrett.
âThe only (Bombers) player that would be of any value to a contender, and I donât know if heâs gettable or not,â King said on SENâs Fireball.
âI donât know if Zach Merrett is gettable, but if Sam Mitchell was able to find a way to get him out of there.
âThis is the sort of guy who I think has got another five years in him at a high level. Beautiful ball user, beautiful ball winner.â
Kingâs idea prompted a discussion with Fireball co-host Kane Cornes who wondered if the Dons would ever give up their skipper who is a five-time Crichton Medallist and three-time All-Australian.
Cornes: âHeâs determined, heâs professional, heâs durable.
âWould you do that deal if youâre Essendon?â
King: âNot if Iâm Essendon, but this is the art of creating a gun list.
âSometimes youâve got to drive a wedge in. âHey, donât hang around there, what are you doing wasting your time there? Come and play with usâ.
âI know he is (contracted)âŚâ
Cornes: âIf you are Essendon is there any way you are entertaining a trade for Merrett, your captain, who is contracted?â
King: âNo, probably not, but youâre making it hard for them though.
âI think what youâve got to do is swing it a little bit. This is how it starts.
âI donât think thereâd be one Essendon fan who would begrudge Zach Merrett going on to try and achieve the ultimate.
âHe said in a pre-game interview with Mark Howard that he still dreams about winning a flag. Itâs the only thing that drives him.
âI donât know if Sam Mitchell will tell us the truth about how hard theyâve gone to try and drive a wedge in to getting him out of there.â
Cornes: âThe Saints did with Merrett which forced him to go to the negotiating table and get a pay rise when they didnât need to when he was already under contract.
âI think Essendon have been very good to Zach, so I doubt whether he would go down that line again and whether the Bombers would entertain it.â
Cornes feels that the Hawks, who are after an A-grade midfielder, would be better off going all-in for a player like Port Adelaide star Zak Butters.
Cornes: âIf I was Hawthorn it would be Butters for me. Theyâd be all-in.â
King: âA lot of suitors for Butters though.â
Cornes: âAs attractive as Hawthorn?â
King: âYeah, I think so. Most players that come out of contract, if the money is there, find Collingwood seriously attractive.
âBig club, the allure of playing in the black and white stripes.â
Cornes: âGood luck coming up with a trade with a lack of assets.â
King: âI get it but those deals get done though.â
Cornes: âThey do if you are out of contract.â
Cornes later pondered the type of player the Bombers should be looking at trading if they want to regenerate their playing list.
âIf youâre Essendon Iâd be looking at players like Jordan Ridley. Players that have let you down with their body but still have attributes that a club would love,â he said.
âRidley as an interceptor, a good ball user across half-back, but doesnât play. Contracted, yes. But if a club needed that intercepting, good user across half-back, that is as player Iâd look at moving.
âYou can try to rebuild that way because thereâs some players on the list I donât know about like Archie Perkins. What someone would give you for Perkins, whether itâs selling too low at the moment.
âThey do have some players on the list who would be attractive to other clubs but have continually let them down. Iâd be looking at them.â
