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"No apologies": Hawthorn break silence on Merrett rumours
SEN • September 12th, 2025 12:21 pm
Hawthorn will make no apologies for approaching contracted players from other clubs amid reports that coach Sam Mitchell met with Essendon captain Zach Merrett earlier this week.
The meeting between the pair has become something of a finals saga with the Bombers blindsided by the news and Merrett’s teammates going public with how “bitterly hurt” they are by their skipper's actions.
Despite having two years to run on his contract, Merrett is believed to have met with Mitchell on Tuesday night as he looks to exit Tullamarine.
It has also been reported that the Bombers captain will not attend the club’s Best and Fairest in October as relationships continue to sour.
All this as the Hawks prepare to meet the Crows in a do-or-die Semi-Final in Adelaide on Friday night.
While much of the week’s focus has been on Merrett, his conduct and what a trade could do to his legacy, Hawthorn president Andrew Gowers has broken his silence on the matter insisting that this kind of meeting between players and other clubs happens all the time.
“We make no apologies for wanting to get better and improve,” Gowers told SEN Sportsday. “I know this has become a big story over the last day or two but we are realists.
“We know other clubs are talking to our players and this story has become big, I understand it, I get it.
“I watched with interest Brad Scott’s interview (and) I would be saying the same thing if I was him, but I think we are all realists.
“What I would say to all members and fans is we make no apologies for wanting to improve. Multiple conversations happen within the club let alone outside. We are always looking to improve our list.
"We’re all grown ups, everybody knows these things go on. I can't confirm if Sam Mitchell met with Zach Merrett, I actually don’t know as I’m not at the coalface.
"I do know Hawthorn is doing all it can to get better. We have to look at free agency, trading and the draft and we will explore all three."
Flipping the narrative of the Merrett saga on its head, Gowers said he would be angry as a supporter if the conversations were not happening.
"I know Sam is getting the headlines and Merrett is too but we have a whole department that looks after recruiting," he said.
"We’re not making any apologies. These conversations, I can’t confirm if it happened or didn’t, I honestly don’t know. I would be frustrated as a member or fan if we weren’t looking to improve."
Asked if he felt the frenzy around Merrett risked derailing Hawthorn's finals campaign, Gowers added: "I don’t think it plays a part; we are focused on the game.
"The Crows are going to be incredibly hard to beat. There's a good reason why Adelaide are favourites and we now we are up against it."
