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The Sydney Morning Herald
· collected 2026-10-05 · by Michael Gleeson
Zach Merrett has joined Hawthorn on a four-year contract worth $1 million annually after being traded from Essendon in exchange for draft picks 15 and 25 this year, plus a future second-round pick. This quick trade suggests that Hawthorn is confident they can secure Ben King from Gold Coast with a first-round draft pick as compensation without needing to include additional players like Aidan Schubert, who will visit the Suns but may remain at Hawthorn.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-05,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Zach Merrett became a player for the Hawthorn (Hawks) on the opening day of this year's trade period. He moved from Essendon in exchange for picks 15 and 25 in this year’s draft and a future second-round draft pick. The 31-year-old Merrett, who won his seventh Crichton Medal last year as Essendon’s best and fairest player, signed a four-year deal worth $1 million annually with the Hawks. This contrasts sharply with Hawthorn's failed attempt to acquire Merrett last year through a more extensive draft pick package. The swift acquisition suggests that the Hawks are confident they won't need to use their remaining draft capital for another key signing like restricted free agent Ben King from Gold Coast, as they believe the Suns will not match their offer and accept a first-round draft pick instead.
Written for “Fed Policy Shifts” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
In striking contrast to last year’s protracted, ugly and ultimately failed move, this year Zach Merrett became a Hawthorn player on the opening day of trade period.
asserted
Merrett → strike → period
Merrett will move to Hawthorn in exchange for picks 15 and 25 in this year’s draft and a future second-round draft pick.
asserted
Merrett → move → draft
The 31-year-old Merrett, who just won a record-equalling seventh Crichton Medal as Essendon’s best and fairest, has signed a four-year deal worth $1 million a year with the Hawks.
asserted
who → win → Hawks
Hawthorn’s best offer for Merrett last year was three first-round draft picks – selections 10 and 22 at the time in the 2025 draft year – their first round pick in this year’s 2026 national draft and fringe midfielder Henry Hustwaite (who was delisted by the club last week).
asserted
who → delist → club
The swift move to secure Merrett this year suggests Hawthorn are confident that they can spend their draft capital believing they won’t need to use it to form part of a trade for restricted free agent Ben King from Gold Coast.
uncertain
they → secure → Coast
It indicates the Hawks are confident the Suns will not match their offer for King and instead accept a first-round draft pick – currently selection seven – as compensation.
asserted
Suns → indicate → compensation
On Tuesday, young Hawthorn forward Aidan Schubert will fly to the Gold Coast and be joined by his parents – flying up from the family home in Gawler, South Australia – to tour the Suns’ facilities and consider a move after just one year at the Hawks.
asserted
Schubert → fly → Hawks
The move for Schubert is a standalone trade, separate from the King free agency move, but the Hawks being open to trading the player they took in last year’s national draft clearly creates goodwill for the Suns not to match the contract terms for King.
asserted
Suns → trade → King
Having arrived at Hawthorn as pick 23 last year, a future second-round selection is likely to form the basis of the deal this year.
asserted
selection → arrive → deal
Schubert, who played one game for the Hawks this season, was shocked and disappointed to discover the Hawks were open to trading him.
asserted
Hawks → play → him
For Hawthorn, however, after securing King and then re-signing Calsher Dear, there was a tight squeeze for spots for key forwards in a starting line-up in this year’s preliminary final that already included Jack Gunston, Mitch Lewis and Mabior Chol.
asserted
that → secure → Gunston
The last year has changed a lot of things for the Hawks, with the club moving swiftly this year to engage with Essendon about a trade.
“You do look and learn from what you do from previous trade periods, and we’ve done that,” Hawthorn list boss Mark McKenzie said earlier on Monday about the Merrett negotiations.
asserted
McKenzie → change → negotiations
McKenzie said the form of midfielder Cam Mackenzie and the emergence of Josh Ward in this year’s finals series in particular would not be harmed by Merrett’s arrival.
asserted
form → say → arrival
“I think the strength of Sam [Mitchell] and the coaching group is that they’ve been able to show their ability to move around players and play them in different positions, so the versatility of some of these guys – Cam’s played a bit more forward at times and wing, and Josh Ward’s done that as well,” McKenzie said.
asserted
McKenzie → think → that
“So it was great this year to see the development of those players.
asserted
it → see → players
But don’t be surprised to see a lot of those players, whether it is a new player who comes into the football club playing in a different position as well at times.
asserted
who → see → times
“I think the strength of the coaching group has been able to use that mechanism to go half-back, wing, midfield, or forward with a lot of our midfielders.
asserted
strength → think → midfielders
So, I wouldn’t think that’ll change him anytime soon.”
asserted
that → think → him
That said, Merrett will play midfield.
asserted
Merrett → say → midfield
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