Essendon captain Zach Merrett will remain at the Bombers after a dramatic final day of the AFL trade period ended without his long-anticipated move to Hawthorn.
Despite weeks of speculation and reported meetings between Merrett and Hawks coach Sam Mitchell, Essendon refused to entertain offers for the 29-year-old midfielder, rejecting multiple proposals from Hawthorn before Wednesday night’s deadline.
Hawthorn were reported to have offered a package including three first-round picks, but the Bombers held firm. The Bombers made it clear repeatedly that their star was “not for trade” insisting he would honour his contract through to the end of 2027.
“He’s our contracted captain. Our club’s position is that we will not be trading him under any circumstances,” coach Brad Scott said.
Hawthorn’s final-hour bid fell short, leaving the club to look elsewhere as the biggest story of the 2025 trade window fizzled out.
The aftermath quickly spilled onto social media. Hawks defender Blake Hardwick posted, then deleted, an image of the Essendon logo with the word “Alcatraz” written across it, as well as an image of the real Alcatraz Island.
Merrett will now enter an awkward off-season facing questions about his future leadership role and relationship with the club. Former Essendon great Tim Watson told SEN that while Merrett would remain professional, the episode was far from ideal.
“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,” Watson said.
Hawthorn’s pursuit of Merrett was among several major deals that collapsed on deadline day. Brandon Ah Chee, Rowan Marshall, Jy Simpkin and Buku Khamis were all unsuccessful in finding new homes after requesting trades.
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