"It's [a feeling of] disappointment that our captain, who is supposed to be leading us through this, is exploring other options."
Those were the words of Bombers defender Mason Redman in September of last year after credible reports emerged that Essendon superstar Zach Merrett was looking to exit the club.
It was an emphatic response in a tense period of time at the Hangar - and a public call-out that Redman now admits he misfired on.
"It didn't sit well with me at the time but through chatting to Zach post everything that went on, there was a few things around his circumstance that I probably should have got in contact with him," Redman told 7 News.
"It's something for me to work on."
However, despite being one of the ex-captain's harshest critics initially, Redman is now a major ambassador of his teammate's return to Tullamarine, reaffirming how hard Merrett has been training to begin 2026, earning back the respect of his teammates and senior leaders at the club.
"Since he's been back at the club, we couldn't have asked for a better reintroduction to the group," Redman said.
"The knowledge that he always brings on the field is unmatched and we know going into this football season that he's going to be at his absolute best yet again."
Redman's praise for Merrett comes after it was reported that Merrett would be open to discussing a contract extension with the Bombers with AFL.com.au revealing that there have been preliminary talks between Merrett's management and the Bombers about extending his deal beyond the end of 2027, when his current six-year contract ends.
Mason Redman remains in the extended leadership group for 2026, supporting newly appointed club captain Andrew McGrath following Merrett's decision to step down from the role upon his return from the failed exit.
