As one source pointed out, recent history suggests there are not happy endings for clubs who hold players against their will.
Bryce Gibbs departed Carlton at the end of 2017, a year after requesting a trade to Adelaide. Tim Kelly did likewise in 2019 after wanting to go home to Western Australia in 2018. Petracca and Clayton Oliver were below their best this year for Melbourne, though Petracca managed to finish runner-up to Max Gawn in the Dees’ best and fairest.
The exception was Sydney star Tom Papley, though he wanted to leave the Swans for personal reasons rather than any disillusionment with the club.
Essendon great James Hird has called for an end to the “rubbish” rumours about Merrett and believes the situation is still salvageable for both player and club.
Hird, a former coach and one of the greatest players to don the sash, has expressed his disappointment at some of the stories that have emerged questioning Merrett’s character since revelations the captain had met with Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell about a move to the Hawks.
Teammates Nic Martin and Mason Redman have both spoken of their hurt at learning their skipper no longer wanted to stay at the Hangar because of a lack of belief in the club’s direction.
“I would love to see Zach and the club make up and go back together,” Hird said on Nine’s Footy Classified program.
“What is disappointing, though, is what has come out – the negative stuff that’s come out about Zach. I’ve coached the guy. He’s a wonderful person, a person of high integrity who has worked his backside off. He’s the hardest worker I’ve coached at any level.
“Some of the stuff that’s come out negatively, some of the rubbish, the club and he have to come together so that it doesn’t come out again because it’s not good for either party.”
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Despite the straining of relationships over the past week between the captain and his teammates and the club, Hird called for the Bombers to retain Merrett.
“If I was Essendon and at Essendon now, I’d be still reaching out and trying to bring him in. He’s an Essendon person. I don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes. In terms of Brad Scott, he’s got another two years on his contract, and [president] David Barham has backed him all the way.
“What they should be doing is work out how they perform to the best of their ability next year and not having these internal, external fights that end up in the media.”
Hird, who was part of a delegation of former captains to meet with Merrett to discuss his leadership, empathised with the champion Bomber, who has played 251 games without tasting finals success.
“I’ve got no doubt Zach has pushed the envelope as far as he thinks he can to drive the standards as high as he possibly can at the club,” Hird said.
“When you say ‘what has he done’, in my impression on what he’s been told he’s gone to the utmost to do whatever he could to bring the highest professionalism to that club.”
Hird said he believed individual success was not driving Merrett, who is a red-hot favourite to win a sixth Bombers best and fairest. Only Dick Reynolds and Bill Hutchison have won more.
“That’s legendary status,” Hird said. “What he’s saying, in my mind is, he doesn’t want to do that. He wants to play in a successful team. There must be something going on for him to take away that legendary status and go somewhere else.”
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