Essendon’s colossal decision not to trade Zach Merrett at last October’s deadline could set the club back years, according to a triple premiership great.
Citing Richmond’s converse approach to rebuilding from scratch by trading its wantaway stars, three-time Tigers flag-winner Jack Riewoldt believes the Dons “completely missed the trick” by holding Merrett to his contract.
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The Bombers kicked off their season in unsightly fashion against Hawthorn – the club Merrett sought a move to – last Friday, falling by 62 points and conceding their fifth-worst score in the Brad Scott era.
And not only did spearhead forward Riewoldt say the Bombers are no longer part of the AFL’s “big four” clubs, but he predicted them to spend the next several years in the doldrums after standing still at the trade table.
“There is this aura inside Victoria about the ‘big four’ – Richmond, Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. And I think, and I think many would think, that Essendon is no longer part of the big four,” Riewoldt began by declaring on Fox Footy’s On the Couch.
“They are not a big club, Essendon. In the way that they have performed – they have not played in a winning final in 20 years … the Zach Merrett saga last year.
“I firmly believe that they have completely missed the trick here to get ahead of the rebuild.
“They are telling us that they are rebuilding on the fly … to think they got offered three first-rounders, plus Henry Hustwaite, for Zach Merrett last year – have they read the tea leaves, or have they completely missed the boat?”
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On trade deadline day last year, Essendon rejected Hawthorn’s offer of Pick 10, Pick 22, a future first-rounder and Hawks midfielder Hustwaite.
“I’ve got worries that Essendon may sit in the bottom four for not one or two years – (but) for four, five, potentially six years, with the addition of Tasmania coming in,” Riewoldt said.
“You’ve only got to look to another team in the big four to go ‘well, maybe they did it a bit better’ – and that was Richmond.”
The Tigers let go of Daniel Rioli, Shai Bolton, Liam Baker and Jack Graham in the 2024 movement period, in return netting eight first-round picks that are now exciting young players.
“Right now, if you were to put Richmond versus Essendon against the wall and go ‘who’s got a better chance of winning a flag?’ Richmond are miles ahead of the Essendon Football Club.”
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Champion Geelong stalwart Tom Hawkins explained that Merrett’s presence alone last Friday was likely what prevented a 100-plus-point shellacking, but Riewoldt was steadfast in his stance.
“If I’m an Essendon supporter, and I’m waking up to a 62-point loss or a 100-point loss versus Hawthorn in Round 1, I’d rather Zach Merrett be in Hawthorn colours – knowing that I’ve got three first-rounders to come, and maybe the future is just a little bit brighter,” Riewoldt added.
“Because I don’t think they’re ever going to win a flag with Zach Merrett at Essendon, and they’ve probably missed the boat there.”
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