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Watson's issue with how Merrett's failed trade played out
SEN • October 16th, 2025 9:31 am
Zach Merrett's failed bid to leave Essendon for Hawthorn and the manner in which it played out does not sit well with Tim Watson.
The Essendon captain showed initial interest in leaving the club following a disappointing 2025 season, with eyes on September success sooner rather than later.
After meeting with Hawthorn head coach Sam Mitchell amid the AFL finals, the rumours of a desired exit ramped up rather quickly, as the Hawks commenced a heavy pursuit for the star midfielder.
Essendon remained resolute in their stance that the club captain and six-time Crichton Medallist would not be traded, hardly issuing a response to Hawthorn's first trade offer made up of Pick 9, a 2026 first-round pick, a future second-round pick and Henry Hustwaite.
Despite Merrett’s manager, Tom Petroro making it vehemently clear that the Essendon captain wanted to join Hawthorn, when it got down to the wire, nothing came of it and he will remain with the Bombers.
So where to from here and how do club and player go about mending what is a fractured relationship.
"I'm not comfortable with the way it played out, it goes to the heart of your club and how it’s operating when your captain wants to get out," Watson said on SEN Breakfast.
"There's a lot of work to be done to repair that relationship between him and the club. He didn’t feel like it was going to deliver what he wanted.
"There's a relationship that needs to be built, they need to listen to each other. I like the fact the club took a strong stand in all this. It was never part of their strategy. Their plan was to being in as many picks as they could.
"Zach Merrett is by far their best player, and to reset the team they need their best players so for them to build they need quality players around that.
"There's nothing in his DNA to suggest he will drop his bundle and won't deliver all the things he is asked to do.
“What you think of Zach will be determined by what you see him do.
"You can't ignore this has taken place. I know Andrew Welsh through this has been telling Zach ‘we love you, we want to keep you’.
"They were not trying to facilitate him moving so he is staying at a club that wants him and loves him."
