When Zach Merrett was forced to honour his contract at the end of 2025, it was a fork-in-the-road moment at Essendon. Enough is enough, was the sentiment shared by new president Andrew Welsh.
The tables have turned in a matter of weeks.
Brad Scott was endorsed as the Bombers' next premiership coach. In the previous administration, before Welsh's arrival, he was given a one-year extension until the end of 2027, pairing him with Merrett to see the club through the dreaded rebuild.
But the club's sacking of Scott is the latest installment of infected behaviour from those at Tullamarine, jumping at shadows amid pressure.
Scott had a feeling his days were numbered when embarking on this full-scale rebuild, which also included an overhaul of the football department and at board level. No one in their right mind could survive that.
But why was Merrett held to his contract and Scott wasn't? Why didn't Welsh honour both deals?
Merrett was sold the dream that he'd be working with Scott, and to stick fat at Essendon through these trying times. Merrett himself admitted that he's never played better football on an individual level than under Scott.
Scott revealed he wasn't in agreeance with the call to hold Merrett against his will, saying the left-footer was at "wit's end" after failed promises again and again.
They kicked the proverbial can down the road — and now Merrett is once again eyeing an exit from the Hangar.
What is Merrett worth this year? He remains contracted, but it's increasingly clear Essendon's best path forward is to facilitate a trade. And they have no leverage to refuse a deal.
The former skipper's value was immense at the end of last season, with a deal poised to supercharge the club's rebuild. Hawthorn tabled three first-round picks along with youngster Henry Hustwaite, yet it still wasn't enough to satisfy the Bombers.
Would a similar offer arrive now? The landscape has shifted dramatically, and Essendon suddenly look far more vulnerable at the negotiating table.
They've strong-armed themselves. And it's not the first time.
