Hawks at peace with failed Merrett move on historic day
Roger Vaughan |
Given their bitter AFL rivalry, Hawthorn great Jason Dunstall fully understands how the audacious bid to recruit Essendon captain Zach Merrett failed.
Hawks president Andy Gowers also backed club football boss Rob McCartney, who said after the trade period last week it would have been “ridiculous” to meet the Bombers’ final demand for Merrett.
Dunstall and Gowers were among club greats who watched on Tuesday morning as the statue of John Kennedy Snr was taken down at their Waverley base.
Hawthorn are in the midst of moving to their new headquarters at Dingley and there was plenty of symbolism as the statue of the club’s most important figure was put on the back of a truck for the relocation.
The media opportunity was staged six days after the trade period ended without the clubs striking a deal over Merrett.
Last month, the Bombers were rocked when news emerged Merrett had met with Hawks coach Sam Mitchell.
“We didn’t get Merrett, but to be brutally honest, a cordial deal between Essendon and Hawthorn is highly unlikely when you look at the relationships between the two clubs historically,” Dunstall said.
“I’d loved to have seen him in a Hawthorn jumper – I think he wanted to come, but it didn’t pan out. That’s okay.
“So they (Hawthorn) will go to the draft with a couple of good picks and there’s still some improvement to come from some of the younger players. It’s a work in progress.”
Dunstall, Hawthorn’s former football director and one of their greatest players, agreed with Gowers and McCartney the final demand from Essendon of multiple round-one draft picks was too steep.
He also noted any hope of a deal was ultimately doomed when Andrew Welsh took over from David Barham as Essendon president.
“You can’t sell your soul for one deal. We did everything we possibly could, Zach did everything he possibly could,” Dunstall said
“But you get the new president come in and credit to Andrew Welsh, he planted his flag, didn’t he, and said ‘this isn’t happening’, and it didn’t happen.
“Once the new president came in, I think there was no chance of getting a deal done.”
Merrett was seen as the missing piece in Hawthorn’s midfield after they reached a preliminary final this season.
But Dunstall is bullish about how the Hawks are tracking.
“They’re still not quite there with the top teams and they still need to develop the midfield,” he said.
“Having Will Day available all the year ’round would be a big bonus.
“They’re in good hands under Mitch. I have a lot of confidence about the direction the club’s heading.”
Gowers was philisophical when asked about the failure of the Merrett trade.
“You move on with a bit of disappointment – that’s clear – but we set our sights firmly on 2026 and working with the players we have on our list,” he said.
“There’s a lot of development and growth in our list.”
Gowers said they had ongoing “bold plans” to put themselves firmly in premiership contention.
“We want sustained success, we don’t want to be a one-year wonder,” he said.
“We will absolutely get better.
“Rob McCartney said it best – accepting that offer would have been ridiculous, so we didn’t. You’re not going to give away the farm.
“That’s life. We get on with it.”
Hawthorn’s AFLW team trained at Waverley for the last time on Tuesday as the club moves to Dingley.
“You can grow with the game, forever and a day,” Dunstall said of the new HQ.
AAP
