Merrett ‘terminates arrangement’ with manager — months after failed trade, wild deadline day scenes

Six-time Essendon best and fairest winner Zach Merrett has reportedly parted ways with his manager, three months after the Bombers star’s sensational attempt to move to Hawthorn fell through.

The Age on Wednesday reported that Merrett, 30, had “terminated his arrangement” with Tom Petroro, who was central to dramatic trade deadline day scenes in October as the Bombers and Hawks failed to agree on a Merrett trade.

The report indicated Merrett had linked back up with manager Nick Gieschen, who left TGI Sport in late 2019 to join Paul Connors’ management stable, which rebranded to CDG Sports late last year.

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Merrett’s potential move from Essendon was the headline story of last year’s AFL Trade Period, with the Bombers taking a tough stance on not letting him go.

The Hawks offered up Picks 10, 22, their 2026 first-round pick and young midfielder Henry Hustwaite, while the Bombers wanted the Hawks’ 2027 first-round pick and a 2026 second-round pick instead of Hustwaite.

The deal fell through, with Merrett instead returning to Essendon training in November. He’s contracted to the Bombers until the end of the 2027 season.

Speaking with the Herald Sun’s Jay Clark, Merrett recounted how difficult it was to request a trade after 251 games and 12 years at The Hangar.

“It was at Brad’s house after he had cooked a nice steak and that was, to be honest, the hardest conversation – or one of the hardest conversations – I have ever had to have in my life,” Merrett told the Herald Sun.

“It was really hard to get the words out. My bottom lip was quivering because I felt like we had been through so much together. In some ways, I felt like I was letting him down because he had given me my childhood dream of captaining Essendon.

“So it was a difficult couple of hours at his house. It was raw. I was emotional. We were both upset, and I had probably lost a little bit of love and connection I had had for the footy club, and that has been pretty deep.”

In a separate interview, Merrett said he holds out hope of helping Essendon to breakthrough finals victory.

“I’m very single-minded around success and very focused on growing and getting better and performing, but success underpins all of that stuff, and I knew I was knocking on the door of 30 (years old),” Merrett told The Age.

“As much as I want to play forever, I’m definitely on the back nine rather than the front, so it felt like, ‘Do I need a shift or a new environment to achieve what I want to achieve?’ Everyone’s journey is different, but I have had five head coaches and 160 teammates in my 12 years.

“Throughout the year, guys kept going down injured, and then we’re losing games. I was really trying to compartmentalise and focus on performing and leading as well as I could in the season.

“I wouldn’t say I lost faith (in those running the club). It was just more around through all those changes, everyone’s got the right intentions and passions … (but) the evidence obviously suggests we haven’t won a final for a long, long time.”

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