By Sam McClure
Essendon have declared captain Zach Merrett is off limits to rival clubs after St Kilda were forced to distance themselves from a report linking him with the Saints.
“Neither the club nor Zach have any interest in exploring the concept. He is our captain and not going anywhere,” an Essendon spokesman told this masthead.
Zach Merrett (left) walks off the MCG with deputy Andrew McGrath after beating Collingwood in July.Credit: Getty Images
A report by Nine chief football reporter Tom Morris on Sunday night stated there was interest from the Saints in securing the talented midfielder.
The Nine report made it clear that no formal approach had been made and stated the chances of Merrett joining St Kilda were remote, but it was a topic of discussion at both clubs on Monday.
“We have not approached his management with a contract offer for Zach to join St Kilda,” St Kilda said in a statement.
“There has also not been any formal discussion of this topic with Zach or his management.
“We will not be making any further comment on this matter.”
The Saints have a war chest to spend in available salary cap space or total player payments (TPP), and as this masthead reported earlier this year, they have made no secret of wanting to add A-grade midfielders to their list. Coach Ross Lyon has consistently pointed to their inability to win midfield battles in post-match losing media conferences.
In recent seasons, they have targeted players including Jordan De Goey, Hugh McCluggage and Luke Davies-Uniacke.
Fremantle star Andrew Brayshaw, who was initially coached by Ross Lyon in his first two seasons in the west, has also been a name on St Kilda’s whiteboard.
The club came under fire when long-time recruiter and adviser Graeme “Gubby” Allan met former North Melbourne gun Tarryn Thomas.
Merrett is known by those closest to him as a brutal competitor and someone who will do just about anything to achieve success.
He turns 29 next month and has played 229 games for just four finals, all of which were losing ones.
He signed a six-year contract extension midway through 2021, which was Ben Rutten’s first full year as senior coach.
Rutten was moved on at the end of the 2022 season and was replaced by Brad Scott.
Merrett met Scott earlier this month and voiced his frustration and displeasure after two of his best mates at the club, Jake Stringer and Jayden Laverde, were denied contract extensions by the Bombers.
Before signing the contract extension in June 2021, Merrett did a significant amount of due diligence, including meeting a number of rival clubs.
He sat down with friend and Carlton captain Patrick Cripps, and twice met Collingwood – once in Noosa with Scott Pendlebury and then-coach Nathan Buckley, and again with Buckley at a later date.
In Merrett’s two seasons under Scott, the Bombers have fired early but slipped out of the top four and the top eight late in the year.
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