Essendon has reportedly offered star on-baller Zach Merrett a contract extension beyond 2027, but the club is in no rush to get a signature on the dotted line.
Merrett's attempted trade to Hawthorn at the end of last year was denied by the Bombers, who weren't satisfied with the deal offered as well as letting their then-captain walk to an arch rival.
Coach Brad Scott confirmed Essendon's intent to retain the six-time Crichton Medallist for the entirety of his career.
"From my perspective Zach's contracted for another two years, so there's not any massive rush on any of this," Scott said.
"What's been reported I think is fairly accurate in that there's been a willingness from Zach and his management to talk to our list management team, and our list management team has had a real willingness to talk to them.
"My only involvement is, 'Would you like to have Zach here long term?'. And that's a pretty simple answer. It's a resounding yes."
Scott was also indifferent to the timing of the pending contract extension, with the thought that if Merrett was to commit sooner rather than later, it would remove the immense speculation.
"I mean, does it matter? We're not going to be able to control what people say throughout the year, so I just worry less about that," he said.
"He's contracted for two years, so it's not as if he's out of contract. Whether he's contracted for longer, I think that's a really good thing for Zach and for the club."
However, Scott admitted he was "blasé" in regards to Merrett
"I was probably blasé last year, thinking Zach's contracted, and he led exceptionally on field and carried a lot of weight off field,"
"I probably watched him be so resilient and thought, he was okay. So, now we're committed to daily conversations and making sure he's carrying the burden as well as he possibly can.
"I've just got to make sure off field, he's in a really good spot."
Scott said there will be change at the selection table ahead of Sunday's clash against Port Adelaide. The coach is conscious of striking the correct balance between experience and youth.
Draftees Jacob Farrow and Sullivan Robey are in the frame for an AFL debut, while Isaac Kako will return after overcoming a minor hamstring strain.
Defender Jordan Ridley has been participating in full training at The Hangar, but Scott said the club will be conservative with his senior selection.
