They are no guarantee to woo Port Adelaide’s Zak Butters as a restricted free agent next year, and there might not be the same calibre of superstar up for grabs as the 2025 trade period, where all of Merrett, Charlie Curnow, Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver could switch clubs.
The Hawks upgraded their defence last year with Tom Barrass and Josh Battle, and did the same to their forward line in 2023 with Jack Gunston, Mabior Chol and Jack Ginnivan (before drafting Nick Watson and Calsher Dear).
Hawthorn bolstered their defence last trade period with ex-West Coast star Tom Barrass.Credit: AFL Photos
Next up is Hawthorn’s midfield, which they stripped back and rebuilt at the end of 2022 when they shipped off Jaeger O’Meara and Tom Mitchell – and even paid about $750,000 worth of their contracts to get them out.
A month later, the Hawks drafted Cam Mackenzie, Josh Weddle and Henry Hustwaite, after using a top-10 pick on Josh Ward and famously snaring Jai Newcombe in the mid-season draft the previous year. Will Day might be Hawthorn’s best player, but only once in six years has he played more than 17 games in a season.
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Watching Geelong’s 35-year-old captain Patrick Dangerfield rip a grand final berth from their grasp must have given Mitchell pause. Experienced champions win big finals.
Merrett might not be Dangerfield, but he’s a six-time best-and-fairest winner at a club where he is the clear standard-bearer. He might have just turned 30, but he has barely missed a match throughout his career.
Only Darcy Parish has won more than Merrett’s average of 29.2 disposals since 2021, while the star Bomber has won more uncontested possessions than anyone, ranks third for inside-50s, second for score assists and fourth for percentage of marks from his inside-50 kicks.
The man is elite, and will bring the polish that Mitchell has sometimes referenced his team was lacking.
Hawthorn are by no means old.
They have a strong core of young talent who are capable of keeping them relevant for a long time, but Barrass (30), Gunston (almost 34), James Sicily (31 in January), Jarman Impey (30), Karl Amon (30) and Blake Hardwick (29 in February) are among their top contributors.
Jack Gunston and Sam Mitchell would love to win another premiership together.Credit: AFL Photos
That, in itself, should bring some urgency to negotiations for Merrett.
Any deal is likely to involve Hawthorn’s pick nine and their 2026 first-rounder, plus another future selection or a player who appeals to Essendon. That might be Hustwaite – but he’s a 10-gamer.
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Would that offer be enough for the Bombers to give up comfortably their best player, or would someone such as Mitch Lewis or Mackenzie need to be involved instead? That might seem too much for a 30-year-old, but the Hawks probably need to overpay to convince Essendon to make this trade.
What Hawthorn’s list boss Mark McKenzie and his team must consider is they are not just trading for Merrett. They are trading for what he could help them achieve.
In that same best-and-fairest speech, Mitchell made it clear that the Hawks had to keep improving because they were not satisfied with preliminary final appearances.
“We are built to win premierships,” he said.
Hawthorn might not need Merrett to take the next step, but they would arguably be flag favourites with him. The Hawks need to make an offer the Bombers cannot refuse.
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