Tom Papley

Well, I think I've already answered that.

Okay, I'm just having another go at it.

Well, if Zach Merritt, the professional that Zach Merritt is...

The example that he is to all these young players, and we've got some really good young players now starting to emerge, then it complements what they can do and having somebody around them in their midst, if that's what he wants to do in terms of being a mentor to those young players.

It has to be an advantage to Essendon.

I'll tell you, so my experience was a similar one with Petrarca and Oliver the year before.

I wanted to keep them as you wanted to keep.

And then a year down the track, as things evolved and different storylines emerged, I'm saying, okay, no, now...

If the offer's there, it's good.

And the move was made.

It was the best thing for a player, the best thing for Clayton, who's playing good footy, best thing for Christian, who's playing great footy, best thing for Melbourne, who secured draft picks and opened the door for two blokes that have emerged in their absence.

Two guys have emerged now in Cade Chandler and Tom Sparrow who would never have grown, would never have grown in the manner they have if those two players were still there.

Yeah, no, correct.

But how long have both those players been on Melbourne's list?

Three years?

No, longer than that.

They've been there for a while, but they haven't had the opportunity because the midfield's been the domain of an outstanding group of players, which has seemed to be the strength of Melbourne's in Viney.

Viney, Petrarca, Oliver, that was just it.

Viney injured, Petrarca and Oliver gone, and all of a sudden Melbourne see, well, I do.

There are others who may have picked this.