Former Essendon captain Zach Merrett has refused to give too much away regarding his future after the tumultuous trade saga at the end of last year.

Merrett declared at this point he is a Bombers player, but will not set that in stone given the ever-changing landscape in the AFL.

The six-time Crichton Medallist always saw himself in the red and black, but that didn't stop him from attempting to land at Hawthorn six months ago.

"I always did, which sounds silly now given the last six months," Merrett said on SEN.

"I've said this many times, but every time my head would hit the pillow, I'd be envisioning myself running out on grand final day at the MCG in Essendon guernsey.

"It got to the point late last year that I really started to challenge if that was a possibility. Got to the point, I felt, that I needed a fresh start. The club was in a clear rebuild, and needed the draft picks.

"Notwithstanding that I had a contract, which I signed four years ago. 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. I know it sounds like I'm dodging the question, but I'm not going hold myself given last year's commitment on 360, then things changed in three months.

"As we saw with Carlton, club's need to prioritise themselves, and where they are positioning and what their future looks like. As players, we got to try and maximise our time in the game, enjoy it as much as we can."

Merrett relinquished his captaincy following the failed trade move, handing the reins to Andrew McGrath.

The Bombers, who are in the midst of a rebuild, have started the season poorly, claiming one victory against Melbourne at Gather Round.

They sit 17th on the ladder with a percentage of 71.8.

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