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"It sounds mature" | Tim Watson on Zach Merrett's comments about his future (13.05.26)
12 May 2026
Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Breakfast with Gary and Tim. The good oil for Cobram Estate. Australia's most awarded extra virgin olive oil. Grown, harvested and first cold pressed in Northern Victoria. Great to have you with us this morning. Patience needed as we just get a few of the gremlins out of the system right now. We've got a big show. Tommy Papley to join us. Tommy Green and Connor Iden.
Andrew Russell's going to be in the studio. Out of eight o'clock, we'll do Carlton in greater detail. And I know you've also got a wispatorial show. around Scott Pendlebury, so we'll do that out of the 8 o'clock news as well.
But right now, Zach Merritt, who was one of the big stories and big topics of conversation over the off-season about his want to get to Hawthorne, Essendon's refusal to trade him and stand firm, and then he had to get re- introduced or reconnected back with his Essendon Football Club teammates and he's played some really good footy this year. Hasn't been an issue from where I sit.
He spoke to the boys from the run home and they asked the question, do you see yourself as a red and black player for life? This was his response.
I had no one else to blame that I had to stay at the footy club. At this point in time, I see myself in red and black, but after last year, I'm not going to put myself in set stone, which I know that sounds like I'm dodging the question, but I'm not going to hold myself, given last year's commitment on 360, and then things change in three months.
I think, like saying with Carlton today, we're in this evolving space where clubs always have to prioritise themselves and where they're positioning and what their future looks like, and as players, we're going to try and maximise our time in the game.
So you've heard that. I know you heard that they did a great job, Gacy and Andy, with Zach, and he spoke really well. It was a long-form interview. He was open. He was expansive. They asked him a whole heap of stuff about criticism and what it's like to be in the public eye when you cop on public criticism, and he didn't back away from any of it. But you, as an Essendon man, have just heard that.
Does that inspire you to think that he's going to be an Essendon player for life or not?
No, it doesn't. It doesn't. Do you have a problem with it? No, I don't have a problem with it at all. I think it's a very mature response on his behalf. He knows where he was over 12 months ago or not even 12 months ago, but probably at some stage during the year he was thinking about what he might do at the end of last season.
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Chapter 2: What comments did Zach Merrett make about his future at Essendon?
Didn't get to go where he wanted to go, understands the lay of the land and probably understands too. And maybe the club's had a conversation with him and said, look, if somebody came to us at the end of this year and offered us a good deal for you, would you entertain them? I don't know that that conversation's even been had, but... That's where the Bombers are at. I mean, they're in a reset.
If somebody came to Essendon at the end of this year, say Essendon were to finish where they currently are on the ladder, 17th, right? So they get an early draft pick. Possibly if somebody came to them, maybe it's Hawthorne again that will nibble and have a better deal than last time and say, listen, we still want Zach Merritt. This is the deal we're prepared to offer.
They're still in that reset, rebuild area. Essendon then, they'd have to look at it. Why would they? I think he's being a pragmatist.
Why would Essendon look at it? Because. Because they had this offer on the table.
No, they didn't. They wasn't a great offer last year, let's be honest.
What was it, three first-rounders?
Yeah, but look at where they were. They were right at the end of the first round. They weren't early drafts. Are you going to get better than that a year later? Well, you don't know. This is what I'm saying.
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Chapter 3: How does Tim Watson interpret Zach Merrett's response about being a Bomber for life?
And I'm just saying that he's got an open mind about it, which I think is a mature way for him to respond to that question.
No, I think his is mature. But Essendon had made their mind up. They weren't trading him even before they got the offer.
I think if they had have had a better deal on the table, then they would have had their head turned, which they didn't. There wasn't a head turning deal being offered by Hawthorne last year.
I thought Andrew Welch was unequivocal and said he won't be getting traded.
Yeah, well, I'm not speaking on behalf of Andrew Welsh, but I'm just saying that if there was a better deal, then maybe it would have been a stronger consideration for doing the deal, but it just didn't come. And there may have been some brinksmanship which was applied to all that as well.
But if Zach Merritt, I think at this stage of his career, I applauded the fact that they kept him, and I think that you need to. And I think there's enough evidence around if you really want to develop young talent, then you need some very good players seasoned professional players around them.
And there's enough evidence to suggest that out there in the AFL world right now, which is why I supported the fact that they kept him. So have you changed your mind? I haven't changed my mind.
It sounds like you're equivocating.
No, no. Well, my point about this is that it's 12 months down the track. And I think that if at the end of this 12-month period, it's given me as an Essendon supporter another 12 months or another six months to look at what we have. Right. And they still have a way to go in terms of rebuilding their young talent. They still need experienced players around him.
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Chapter 4: What factors influence a player's decision to stay with their club according to Tim Watson?
But I'm just trying to make sense. I'm not being argumentative for the sake.
Yes, you are. But anyway, keep going.
I'm not being argumentative for the sake of it. But on the one hand, you're saying he must be kept because it's important to have senior players around for the development of the young talent. And then on the other hand, you're saying, but I'll tell you what, if they got a bet as a good offer, then that senior player is not all that important for the young talent.
Well, both things can be correct. What I'm saying is I'm not shifting away from the fact that you need to have experienced players around, but I'm also saying that if you had a great offer and a great deal, which meant that you could secure one of the best early draft picks on top of the draft pick that you already have, then that's what Essendon really need to strongly look at.
And that would be a consideration, but it only can be a consideration when it is there for you to choose.
Do you think a year on... they will get potentially a better offer than what they got from Hawthorne for Zach Merritt. Do you think there's going to be a better offer on the table for him a year on if in fact there is one?
Yeah, no, I think there's a possibility of it. I think it would be better for Essendon to get in the draft early, early, as opposed to late with high team picks. That's what was available last year, high team picks.
That's right, so there's only high team picks last year. He's a year older. So are those late team picks, are you going to get a better potential offer than that a year on?
But maybe it'll be one pick as opposed to... Maybe the consideration will be rather than three picks, it might just be an early, early pick. And that might be, in their minds, that might be a better consideration than what it would have been 12 months ago.
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Chapter 5: Why does Tim Watson believe Zach Merrett's maturity is important for his career?
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 have 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. I see Chandler in a whole different light, and I see Tommy Sparrow in a whole different light. They're outstanding players.
Yeah, no, my point is, though, that the fact that they had been there long enough for them to mature and then be able to step up. Right now, I'm looking at the young SM players in the midfield, like, say, Sharp and also Roby.
And the fact that Zach Merritt's there means that they can probably play in a way in the midfield without getting the attention that they might receive if Zach Merritt wasn't there. And that helps their development. And that has to be a consideration in all this as well.
I think that's right. Exactly. Hey, we'll take our break now. Still feverishly working away here on the temper tech. So if you're sending them through and we're not acknowledging them, just understand that Nims is doing some of his very best work and trying to get it online. Hey, we've got a big morning. We have Tom Green and Connor Iden. They're coming up next.
Now, we had to fit them in because they've got a team meeting at 7.40, so this is the only time we can slot them in. So Tommy Green is a regular with us and a beauty. We love talking to him, and he mentioned Connor Iden as one of those people at your footy club who are the glue, and we'd never really spoken to him, so the GWS Giants have been kind enough to organise it.
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Chapter 6: What role does Zach Merrett play in the development of young players at Essendon?
So we'll take a break. The Giants stars Tommy Green and Connor Iden joining us next. The footy news for Ian Reid buyer and vendor advocates. Ian Reid vendor advocates.
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