James Hird, Jimmy Bartel on juicy Zach Merrett query amid commerce saga involving Essendon, Hawthorn

Essendon is alleged to have no real interest in buying and selling captain and adorned midfielder Zach Merrett to Hawthorn if all that is supplied is 2 first-round picks.

And that begs the query: ought to the Bombers conform to a commerce if the Hawks can cough up any extra?

“I believe Zach Merrett modifications them from being a top-four or top-six crew to doubtlessly a grand finalist,” James Hird stated in reply to that very query on 9’s Footy Furnace on Wednesday evening.

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“He is the type of participant they precisely want.”

Jimmy Bartel agreed.

“He is actually a changer for the Hawks,” Bartel stated on Footy Furnace.

“The Hawks have been distinctive this yr, I believe all of us acknowledge out of the finals sequence. Will Day comes again into that aspect.

“However they have been one other midfielder, and a top quality midfielder, wanting being [there] on the final day in September.”

Merrett and his administration are but to request a commerce regardless of having made it clear that he doesn’t need to be a Bomber subsequent yr.

However they’ve till 7.30pm AEDT subsequent Wednesday to get a commerce achieved.

Merrett met with Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell within the week main as much as the Hawks’ semi-final in opposition to the Crows.

9News’ Tom Morris stated new Essendon president Andrew Welsh had made his stance clear: the membership won’t be entertaining a commerce for Merrett … except Hawthorn’s provide is “distinctive”.

Which isn’t shocking given the calibre of participant — a triple All-Australian, a six-time greatest and fairest, the 2024 Anzac Medallist, and Essendon’s skipper.

“For me, nothing beneath two first-rounders goes to get within the dialog,” stated AFL Media’s Callum Twomey.

“It isn’t going to get achieved in two first-round picks. It is simply not going to get achieved.

“So there’s going to must be extra added to it if it is going to shake their [the Bombers’] view.”