The blame game between Essendon and Hawthorn has continued today following the failure to complete a trade for Dons skipper Zach Merrett.
The Hawks called Essendon’s demands “ridiculous” this morning after a deal couldn’t be reached before Wednesday night’s trade deadline and the Dons have hit back.
Bombers chief executive Craig Vozzo said his club wanted “a mature player” involved in the deal, but the Hawks only offered Henry Hustwaite (who has played 10 games since he was drafted in 2022) plus several high draft picks.
“Our position ... number one, two and three was retaining Zach, no doubt at all,” Vozzo said on AFL Trade Radio.
“Out of respect for Zach, he had a preference to move to Hawthorn. We had discussions and that involved mature players.”
Vozzo said Hustwaite was the only current player offered by the Hawks.
“First contact was about 30 hours before deadline with a first and final offer which had a seven-hour deadline. That contained Henry.
“Without demeaning Henry – he’s a very good footballer, but he wasn’t going to shift the dial in the context of his transaction.”
Vozzo also said he was disappointed in how the Hawks approached negotiations, given his club was clear in wanting a significant return.
“I was disappointed in the way that was presented,” Vozzo said.
“It was an unusual way to go about things, particularly in the context of someone of Zach’s ilk. He’s an outstanding player and great person, and they knew he was contracted and very important to us.
“I was [disappointed], to be honest, but we all go about our business in different ways and that’s the way they decided to approach it. I was surprised.”