Essendon has been urged to “follow through” on its guarantee that captain Zach Merrett will remain at the club and see out his contract.
It comes after new Bombers president Andrew Welsh, a day into the position after succeeding Dave Barham, guaranteed on Tuesday that Merrett wouldn’t be going anywhere this off-season amid burgeoning links to a Hawthorn move.
On Wednesday morning, Welsh, in an interview on SEN, disagreed with Demons great Garry Lyon’s assertion that Merrett was “disgruntled” at the Hangar, with the star midfielder having spoken to Hawks officials including coach Sam Mitchell about a potential trade.
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“Clearly, I didn’t agree with him about the disgruntlement, but I don’t want to hang him on that. I think he’s a first-up president that’s been thrown in at the deep end,” Lyon began on AFL 360 on Wednesday night.
“I think he’ll be fantastic in the role, but I didn’t agree with him. And look, we had Zach on our show here throughout the course of the year, and we put it to him in the strongest possible terms that ‘this is what we’re hearing, is there any truth to it?’ … it’s a hard position to be in, but I take it (what Merrett says) all with a grain of salt.
“I don’t know what he’s telling Andrew, I don’t know what he’s telling other people. Clearly, he told us one thing, and other things were at play … and Andrew’s trying to put his best foot forward there, so I don’t hang him up on that.
“I don’t agree with him (Welsh) in any way, shape or form about the disgruntlement that’s clearly there, but … (Jordan) Ridley’s turned around and said he’s coming back, so that’s a big tick for them.”
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Co-host and respected commentator Gerard Whateley took the stance that Merrett staying simply had to come to fruition after Welsh guaranteed his retention so vehemently.
“I do think once you come to the job as president fresh — and he is fresh — and you guarantee that he’s going to be there on the first day of pre-season, I think you have to live that,” Whateley said on Fox Footy.
“If there was a possibility that they were going to trade him, the new president had the absolute right to leave himself just a wedge of space to be able to navigate into in three weeks’ time. He shut that absolutely.
“So, if I’m an Essendon fan, I don’t want him coming to me in three weeks’ time saying ‘oh, we traded him’. Today was the day.
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“I expect him to be at Essendon now. I expect them to absolutely live their word. They’ve done it over and over and over, and this was their moment just to create a little bit of wriggle room.
“If you’re going to stay so strong with your fanbase, then you best follow through.”
But Lyon was of the belief things could still shift again between now and trade time, saying: “I’m not ruling it out, Gerard. I’m putting that down to perhaps a bit of naivety for a first-up president in his first media (appearance). And I’ll cut him a bit of slack.
“Things change, for me. You can be resolute one day, in football, and you can go goalposts move the next.”
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Later, on Midweek Tackle, Herald Sun journalists Jon Ralph and Scott Gullan discussed the situation further, with Ralph citing “renewed hope” of a Merrett rectification.
“I think he (Welsh) was exceptional in his performance, and I think that the Essendon fans felt that this was almost the best day in this club’s season, and that’s not saying much, because they haven’t had a lot of hope,” said Ralph on Fox Footy.
“So, renewed hope that maybe Zach Merrett will stay. And obviously, him talking about unity in a great email that was sent out by Dean Solomon to amass the troops — ‘come on, let’s get behind this bloke as well’.”
Gullan, meanwhile, was convinced Merrett is now likely to remain in red and black.
“I think he (Welsh) went strong, and this is the start of his presidency. So, I think Zach Merrett won’t be going, and I think it’s starting to change already, the narrative, with Ridley staying,” he said.
“Andrew Welsh wouldn’t, or shouldn’t, have been advised to go so strongly on Zach Merrett if it wasn’t true. So, I think he doesn’t go anywhere.”
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