Essendon captain Zach Merrett is weighing up his future as rival AFL clubs circle the superstar midfielder.
Merrett’s name has once again been thrust into the trade spotlight despite being contracted until the end of 2027.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Zach Merrett’s future in doubt as rivals circle.
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The soon-to-be 30-year-old is reportedly disillusioned with the direction of the club after yet another failed season.
Merrett has now played 251 games for the club, but is yet to play in a winning final.
7NEWS chief AFL reporter Mitch Cleary shed more light on the situation on Tuesday night.
“Zach Merrett is torn on what he wants to do next year,” Cleary said on 7NEWS.
“Last year, clubs chased him and he stayed, but rivals now believe there’s enough impetus to go again, given Merrett’s mindset.
“The 30-year-old to work through his options in the next couple of weeks and whether he agitates to get out.
“Merrett is frustrated at the 13-game losing streak to end the season and those close to this concede his comments six weeks ago when he backed the future of the Bombers have since softened.”
Despite clubs set to come for Merrett, Cleary reports Essendon will knock back any potential trade.
“Essendon could not be more unequivocal, saying Merrett will be playing at Essendon next year for the two years on his contract and hopefully beyond,” he added.
The Merrett situation comes as fellow Essendon star Jordan Ridley reportedly explored the possibility of a trade.
The Agenda Setters host Kane Cornes relayed a message from Essendon coach Brad Scott that said there is no way they will trade the pair.
“(Scott) just said he doesn’t believe it’s a story. He doesn’t believe it’s a story with Jordan Ridley. He understands the frustration, there’s no doubt these two players are frustrated,” Cornes said on The Agenda Setters.
“But for them, Merrett’s got two years left on his contract, they love the way he goes about it and for Ridley they think they are their best and second-best players and (Scott said) under no circumstances we will be trading those players.”
But Caroline Wilson urged Merrett to face the media and put the constant speculation to bed.
“I don’t know what we haven’t heard from Zach Merrett yet,” she said.
“There has to be something to this and even if it’s only that Zach is talking to a lot of people because he likes to get advice from people and that gets around to clubs that maybe Zach Merrett isn’t happy.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Essendon legend Tim Watson expressed his concern about the Merrett situation.
“There’s more than just losing a player here (with Merrett),” Watson said on SEN.
“From Essendon’s perspective here ... I don’t see this as the same as the Charlie Curnow situation (at Carlton), because it’s a philosophical thing that you’re dealing with here ... and that is that you’ve got your leader, your captain.
“If that falls, if you allow that bloke to walk out of your club, what is that saying to the rest of your playing group?
“That is the most damning statement on your club possible that your captain, your leader, the person that you would hope is in charge of the playing group and the feelings within the playing group, or has control or has some say or has some influence over the playing group, has got to the point where he’s so disillusioned that he wants to walk out on your club.
“You cannot allow that to happen for where Essendon is at right now.”
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