Why the first, late bid of the Hawthorn Hawks just doesn’t cut it for the Essendon Bombers in the Zach Merrett stakes

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The deadline of 7pm on Tuesday night for Essendon accepting the draft part of the offer may or may not prove a bluff. But it does not strike as the best method to negotiate when you’re the party that a) is seeking a contracted player, and b) you have not offered a single player of value, ie, one with the prospect of improving Essendon, much less making the Bombers great again.

Hawthorn, understandably, have been coy about putting players on the altar as sacrifices for Merrett. The Hawks do not wish to cause grief within their playing group.

Is Cam Mackenzie actually available? If they haven’t already, Hawthorn should front him and let him know if that’s the case.

It is hypocritical to inflict harm on another club’s internal cohesion and then be unwilling to even consider a much less-disruptive conversation with your own players.

It is not as though Essendon are asking for Will Day or Jai Newcombe.

Is Mitch Lewis a chance? If so, the Hawks should hurry up and put him in the mix for the Merrett trade. It is unhelpful, too, that Sam Mitchell is overseas and might not be well-positioned to have hard conversations.

Pick No.9 is fine, but the other picks on offer are problematic. If Hawthorn landed Merrett, their 2026 first-rounder could well end up in the 16-20 range after academy bids and so forth; indeed, that would be the likely outcome.

Second-rounders, in that scenario, aren’t worth much.

The deal is not improved by adding secondary draft picks and a player who doesn’t play seniors at Hawthorn.

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It is surprising that both Hawthorn and Geelong (for Charlie Curnow) are so reluctant to put up half-decent players for trade, or that they were not willing to entertain players of merit, so to speak, much earlier. In fairness to the Cats, they have not been as hell-bent on Curnow as Hawthorn on Merrett.

Sydney, conversely, have been edging towards an offer for Curnow that the Blues can approve, albeit there were still wrinkles late on Tuesday. The Swans are at least putting Will Hayward and (the less compelling) Ollie Florent on the smorgasbord, in tandem with the picks.

It is not beyond the realms that Merrett will be traded at 7.28pm, for those first-round picks and a player who suddenly materialises on Wednesday. Or for a third high pick.

But what has been put forth first, weeks after Merrett’s meeting with Sam Mitchell detonated, was never going to appease the infuriated Bombers.

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