September 10, 2025 • 22 mins
Catch up on all the footy news from AFL 360, Tuesday the 9th of September with Gerard Whateley and Garry Lyon.
Gerard Whateley and Garry Lyon are back for a huge edition of AFL 360 as they discuss the big talking points of the semifinals and prelims, including The Bailey Smith incident and also have Bombers Coach Brad Scott in the studio to talk about the recent news about club captain Zach Merrett's potential move to the Hawks
For more of the show tune in on Fox Footy & KAYO.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Essendon captain Zach Merritz meets with Hawthorne, fueling that the
growing belief he wants out of the Bombers, say his coach,
Brad's got is live at the desk.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
The Crows seek to make amends upter blowing the advantages
of the minor premiership.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
It's a scenario. John Longmeyer has lived.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
And riding the wave of momentum through a September campaign
and the Suns turn one great win into a run.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
You've talked about this, step into it, debrace all of it,
hit in the room and met it.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
It's unedifying for a senior coach to do that. They're
on the side of courtia with the brain, take the
man on it. They played the best footy I've ever
seen at the start of the season, and Inde said
president left. The couple older said, of course they do.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
It's the stuff that legends are made of.
Speaker 4 (00:44):
What is holding the ball?
Speaker 5 (00:46):
I don't think I could answer it clearly right now
that I could do.
Speaker 4 (00:49):
Something wrong, you know, and I need to go and
the board sets me. The fans lover and with no fans, no.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Through sixty year old, I thought Wednesday might have been
the lull gours given we don't play till Friday night.
But it has been no such thing.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Na interesting times have we lived in And I can't
wait for Brad's got to come in and sit down.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
I think there'll be a whole.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Host of footy people and Essen supporters especially that will
be watching on with interest.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Yeah, emotions have been pretty raw throughout the day. Let's
just start down the highway where what should have been
the most innocuous of training sessions given Geelong have the
week off reached a flashpoint when Bailey Smith confronted News
Corp photographer Alison Wines, who had taken that image of
Smith getting treatment before training in full view at the
open part of the session. Smith twice confronted swore and
(01:43):
demandeds that Wine deletes those images, believing it was an
invasion of his personal space.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
That's really disappointing.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
It's unacceptable, it's not good enough and it shouldn't be indulged.
You can't have it both ways, Bailey, That's what we've
got to here, understanding you bravely bear your soul and
then you're under all your good work by beliving a
photographers just trying to do his job, a her job
in this instance, but just be better, Bailey, be a
better man than that. I think the footy world has
(02:13):
tried to understand and except that no one's perfect and
you've got your shortcomings as we all have. But there's
been way way better players than you, mate, that have
had to put up with more than that, and they've
been able to do it with a degree of class.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
So we respect you. Pay it back, pay it back.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
That's just not on I suspect he has a difficult
relationship with the paparazzi side of things, which not many
footballers have to do. That's not what this is. This
is the football environment. It's a safe environment, it's a
shared environment, and there needs to be that respect going
both ways.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Mister Mark badly and I wait to see Geo long
I've got a fantastic record of handling these things, but
we need to hear from them and we need to
hear from him.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
All right, here's what we've got lined up for tonight.
Brad Scott is about to join us. Adam Simpson and
John Longmi are our favorite pairing who have lived a
lot of the scenarios of semi final week, and Jock
Landale is in Town ahead of returning for the NBA preparations.
His Magpies don't play, so his timing is not exactly perfect,
but he's going to come and join us at the
desk after us. It's a big News Night's midweek tackle,
(03:15):
so Lawrence got Corbyn and John Ralph in place. Tomorrow
night is the in depth look at the semifinals first
Crack preview, so a special Thursday Night edition Ben Dixon,
David King and Lee Montagna and that takes us to
the game covering.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Then we turn our attention to Adelaide over will be outstanding,
So full contingent traveling over there. It's going to be outstanding.
We're going to see what happens with an Adelaie Crow side.
They've had a week to contemplate what finals foot is about.
Up against Sam Mitchell and a pretty angry and hungry
Hawthorne team. Outstanding will fly home on Saturday. You'll keep
going head up to the Gamma. All eyes on the
(03:49):
Q clash. So the Brisboo lines take on the Pink Suns.
What about that team there, Sarah Jones heading it up
and Dunstall and Matthews and King and Brown.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
That's locked and loaded, so you might have his merch
on sale at the ground.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Type will be up, you'll be reading chapters from his
book out on the concourse, Fox Footy covering finals, outstanding
over the first round and it's going to be great again.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
All right, four teams to choose from. Who is a
d Day four? Thanks to Ossie brought boun.
Speaker 4 (04:15):
Crows for me. I'm going straight to the top of
the table.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
Crows just they flunked. They got an F.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
That's okay, it's how you respond to the F. It's
not terminal at this stage. They are one of six
teams still who can win this twenty twenty five Premiership
and they wouldn't have felt like it at the end
of the game last week.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
But that's right.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
They're back on the Adelaide Oval and they get a
chance at redemption. They come up against a really hungry,
aggressive Hawthorn side and they've got to match them. If
they don't match them, they'll get bundled aside Again. I've
got a feeling, and I've just got a bit of
a feeling that they can do something in the Crows
after a really disappointing first up effort which leaves you
with one game to do.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Yes, so I'll take the Brisbane lines. Is this going
to be the end of the premiership defense? They have
toiled away stoically under all manner of adversity. They have
been Burnborough, but every now and then sixty two and
a half kilos will break the back. So is that
the moment that we've reached with the Brisbane Lions. There's
a bit of a contradiction here. They are in a
(05:12):
way they're the aging champs. They're actually the youngest still here.
So there's eight under twenty two and they had three
of the four teenagers who played in the first week
of the finals. They're in the line. So it feels
like two things are true at once. What we've admired
is their heart right throughout the year, and every time
they've had a performance like that they have been able
to rebound. There's all. You don't need additional motivation at
(05:35):
this time of year. They are playing for their premiership chances.
They have the crosstown rival who they have kept under
wraps for their whole existence. Are they going to be
able to do it again?
Speaker 2 (05:44):
They don't want to hand up their title to these.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
Upstarts from the Gold Coast.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
John O.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Brown has been massive on the fact that they have
responded the Brisbane Lions every time they've been challenged this year,
and he's confident they can go it again.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
Let's see. I think they're going to be cheeky. They're
not going away Pik.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
No, No, it'll be a hell of a good game.
Both of them will be all right. Let's get to
the top of the agenda. Zach Merrett's future has now
reached flashpoints. No sooner had Essendon's board resolved under no
circumstances to trade its captain than it was revealed that
Merritt had met with bitter rival Hawthorne yesterday. Brad Scott
about to join us. Zach, that the broader conversation around
(06:26):
you which has been had in the industry at the
moment where we casually move players wherever we feel they
should go, is go and be happy somewhere else. Are
you aware of that conversation?
Speaker 6 (06:37):
Yeah, I don't live under a rock and certainly aware
of that.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
So they've had to sell the vision to Zach Merritt,
who's been mentioned again twelve months earlier.
Speaker 4 (06:44):
They had to sit down with him, say, Zach, you're
our captain, please stay we're going to come. Well, they've
had to do it again.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Zach Merrett, the essiting captain, met with Hawthorne on Tuesday
night and he explored away out of the club, emigling
to Zach Merret any truth of it.
Speaker 7 (06:59):
I'm not sure to talk to the list management guys
about that, but I mean I hope that they are
working behind the scenes on improving our list. That's what
their job is, and I hope they're going about that.
Improving our list is what every club's doing.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
I work with Tim Watson, one of the all time greats,
couldn't even contemplate.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
Leursing Zach Merrit.
Speaker 7 (07:15):
He has now got the power to close it all
down once and for all. If I'm Zack, I'd say move, move,
because if you thought about it this often for this long,
and you feel like it's not going to happen, well
then you've got to have the strengthen your convictions.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
You got to move.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
I just can't believe in a world where they can
let the best player captain go skip you just absolutely
unequivocally putting it to bed and saying that's just made
up that stuff.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Yeah, I'm all in. I'm contracted in two more years.
I'm the captain of the footy club. I've got so
much trust.
Speaker 6 (07:52):
In Brad and what he's doing and I really want
to see that through. It's a bit longer than I
probably would hopefully like when I signed four years ago,
but it's pretty clear now these kids are coming through
and I want to take that ultimate success with the
footing club.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
This has played out this desk at various stages this year,
and so it is tonight, Brad Scott.
Speaker 4 (08:13):
Welcome, Thanks Jerret, Thanks Garry.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
Will you blindsided by Zach's meeting with Hawthorne?
Speaker 5 (08:18):
Yeah, that was a surprise to me. I mean I
speak to Zach daily. He's over at my house a
couple of days ago having dinner, so I'm well aware
of Zach's position.
Speaker 4 (08:30):
In terms of you know, he's as it's in the
run running there.
Speaker 5 (08:34):
He talked about our young talent and he's very excited
about the young talent on our list and has got
full confidence in them.
Speaker 4 (08:40):
But he's as hungry for success as.
Speaker 5 (08:43):
Any player that I've ever encountered. And you know, he's
a man in a rash. He's twenty nine. You know,
he's concerned that will the young talent mature enough in
time for him to enjoy that success. But the reality
is that this time last year we recommitted to Zach.
We felt he was underpaid for someone who was performing
(09:04):
at such a high level, so for the second time
in three years.
Speaker 4 (09:07):
We.
Speaker 5 (09:09):
Changed his remuneration to reflect his brilliant performance.
Speaker 4 (09:12):
And he's terrific leadership. So we committed to him.
Speaker 5 (09:16):
You know, he committed to us, and like our CEO
who move into state committed to the club. I came
and made a commitment to the club. I intend to
see my commitment through and I expect our captain to
do the same.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
Has he cheated on you in a footy sense? Taking
that meeting yesterday.
Speaker 5 (09:29):
Look, I think we've all got to accept that the
old school, the old timers, Gary, we probably have a
problem with it. And this is the second club captain
Sam Mitchell's met with in one year. The difference is
our club captain is contracted for another two years. So
I think you've got to accept that that players are
(09:49):
going to do this and now coaches are doing it.
But I think that the reality is that Zach's a
process driven guy. He wants He's got a checklist, he'll
go through his process and he likes to come to
his own conclusion. So in a way, this is Zach
just doing his due diligence. But it feels like we've
(10:09):
done our due diligence to out of the last three
years and we have a really clear vision. It's a
real It's been a really challenging year for a number
of reasons, but we've all made a commitment. And the
thing about a commitment is that the reward at the
end of it is not guaranteed. But the thing I've
learned about success is that it's fantastic when you get it,
(10:32):
But it's the journey and the effort and the blood,
sweat and tears that you put in to the process
to get the success that's the reward, not the outcome.
It's not the premiership medal or the winning finals. It's
the work that you put in with other people, the
commitment you make to people, that's the reward. The outcome
is just reward for the effort.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
If he comes to you and says he doesn't believe
in your vision anymore and he wants to go and
chase it elsewhere, will you entertain trading him?
Speaker 4 (10:58):
Well, the reality is his vision as well.
Speaker 5 (11:01):
I mean he is, he's invested in our club and
he's been kept right up to speed with the vision.
And it's been a challenging year. I mean we started
the year at six and four. I mean we had
even challenges at that stage, but then you know, the
injury crisis has been well documented throughout the year, so
you know, but again, I can't stress enough that, you know,
(11:23):
I love this bloke, like I think he's an incredible player.
I've rarely seen anyone like him, you know, and and
playing group almost make fun of me for constantly, you know,
referring to Zach and his on field deeds and his
will to win is unbelievable. And if he does have
a chink in his armor, it's that that will to
(11:46):
win and that desperation for success. He sometimes wears his
heart on his sleeve and he shows that frustration. But
if that's the biggest chink that he's got, you know,
it's not the worst one.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
But if he says he wants out or you hold
him against.
Speaker 5 (11:59):
His will our club, he's contracted captain, so our club's
position is that we will not be trading him under
any circumstances.
Speaker 3 (12:07):
Can he still be a captain if he wants, if
he requests a trade?
Speaker 2 (12:10):
Can you still lead your football club? Share your vision?
I'm watching and watching you. You feel and look like
you really, you know, personally hurt by this.
Speaker 5 (12:19):
Well, it's not about me personally, it's about our club.
I feel like I talk to our supporters, I talk
to our members, and at the end of all of
those conversations, I'd say the same thing to all of
our supporters, say stick with us, And almost to a
man or woman, they say, through thick and thin, I'm
rustled on. They've been through some really difficult times and
(12:41):
the real carrot for me to come to us was
to see this through. So you know, it has been
a challenge. But again I understand Zach. I love Zach,
and he's just so desperate for success that you know,
he wears his heart on his sleeve and he goes
through these these these moments. But our position is he's
(13:01):
our captain. He's contracted for two years, We've adjusted his
contract to reflect his performance, and we expect him to see.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
It through it does Can can he be captain?
Speaker 3 (13:10):
Then?
Speaker 5 (13:11):
Of course he can be captain because the thing about
no one's perfect, you know, and and I talk about
there are a lot of players that I think are geniuses,
but there are a lot of flawed geniuses too. No
one's perfect, and I don't think anyone's captains he's perfect.
Anyone's coaching ability is perfect. It's a it's a learning
process and so of course he can be captain.
Speaker 4 (13:32):
But will will it.
Speaker 5 (13:33):
Be a challenge based on this situation? Absolutely it will be.
But I've seen him have become bigger challenges than this.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
I'm going to push you on it because effectively you
could be holding.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
Him against his will.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
You're going to say no, no, you start, you're contracted,
so the captain, dry black and white. You're holding the
player against his will. I've got to say, I'm finding
it hard for him then to be a leader of
foota club.
Speaker 4 (13:55):
Yeah, I don't. I don't see it that way.
Speaker 5 (13:57):
He made a commitment play and a lot of agents
are running at the moment with just sign long term
contracts and if you want to move or move you well,
that's not the world I live in. The world I
live in is you make a commitment and you see
it through.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
Are you disappointed? It's got to this in him? I
know you love him.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
You say you love him, the player say you love him,
to the point where it's yet he's still is exploring.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
Is that disappoint you?
Speaker 4 (14:21):
Yeah, well, I know it's probably too.
Speaker 5 (14:24):
It's not a great analogy because you know your family's
your family, but you know your players know they feel
like s a good family, and in a way I
treat them like I treat my kids, and my kids
make mistakes all the time. I'm still their father and
I'm still his coach, and my job is to lead
the club and to have Zach by my side helping
(14:47):
us through this difficult time is really important, is.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
What Sam Mitchell's doing? Fair? Reasonable? Oh well, it angered you.
Speaker 4 (14:58):
I think the world's changing. You know, there would there
be a time and.
Speaker 5 (15:01):
A place in which I'd be, you know, pretty disappointed.
But the reality is now the gloves are off and
all fair, all's fair and love war, and that's the
path they want to go down.
Speaker 4 (15:11):
Then you know we'll play it that game to So
you've spoken.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
Have you spoken to Zach today?
Speaker 5 (15:16):
Not today, but I spoke to him yesterday. I speake
to him most every day.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
But in the aftermath of this is the implication is
he's made a mistake. But what if he doesn't see
it that way when you talk to him next. What
if he said, I'm eyes wide open here and I'm done.
I've got no energy left for it, Brad.
Speaker 5 (15:32):
But the board's position is that he's a contracted captain.
He made a commitment, and I support that position.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
Your relationship with your senior players. So yeah, if bad
wants out, if Draper wants to change, if Ridley wants out,
is that in question?
Speaker 3 (15:49):
Now do you sit there and look at that or not?
Speaker 4 (15:52):
No?
Speaker 5 (15:53):
There For a start, I mean, my relationship with Zach
is very good, so you know, and he's spoken publicly
to that. So regardless of what happens, that will never change. Draper,
I think, is a completely different situation. For a start,
He's an uncontracted free agent who over the last ten
(16:13):
years has had an ACL, a PCL, chronic roin hip problems, now.
Speaker 4 (16:20):
A ruptured achilles.
Speaker 5 (16:22):
He's never played more than fifteen games in any single season.
I don't think we can begrudge him for being mentally
and physically exhausted and feeling like he needs, in his words.
Speaker 4 (16:35):
A fresh start.
Speaker 5 (16:36):
So the fact that he's waited until September to make
a decision that he was so torn to make talks
to that it wasn't easy.
Speaker 4 (16:45):
He didn't want just went out.
Speaker 5 (16:47):
He was, as I said, mentally and physically exhausted and
in a difficult spot.
Speaker 4 (16:52):
And he's made a.
Speaker 5 (16:53):
Decision that the competition now supports in terms of free agency.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
And Ridley and Lavert and those players.
Speaker 5 (17:03):
Yeah, Ridley, I was a lot of players I was
excited to coach when I came to Essendon. Jordan was
one of those. Unfortunately I haven't had the opportunity to
do that. I mean, he just not only is he
not played, he hasn't trained. So you know, we we
have made significant changes to our high performance team. The
appointment of Matt Inness is a coup for us, you know,
(17:26):
as someone that we hold in extremely high regard. You know,
we've made another appointment in our high performance area. So
we've revamped that space. And again I would expect someone
of Jordan Ridley's talent and capability to be frustrated with
the last couple of years.
Speaker 4 (17:43):
But again we.
Speaker 5 (17:44):
Went back felt he was under remunerated for the level
of capability and talent that he has and we recontracted
him for another four years, so we made the commitment
to him and he'll be seeing out his four years
with us.
Speaker 1 (17:59):
How significant has the list strategy changed from so you
took the job in September twenty twenty two to where
we sit here now.
Speaker 5 (18:08):
I think it always changes and evolves. I mean, there's
always a plan. Every club's got a plan, but it
changes based on acquisitions, players who go, players or inform,
all of those things.
Speaker 4 (18:19):
But I think I have a bias to.
Speaker 5 (18:23):
Build, to want to build, and our position in the
draft this year reflects that we've got at this stage
four picks inside twenty five, so our position is that
we're already I think, one of the youngest and most
inexperienced lists in the competition, which again speaks to Zach.
He loves the talent, but is it going to get
(18:43):
there quickly enough for him? And I think that's a
valid question for him. But the simple answer is, Jared,
it hasn't changed that much. It's evolved a little bit,
but clearly we need to keep investing in elite talent
and the only way you can or the easiest way
to bring an elite talent is through the draft, and
that's what we're targeting.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
You're going to be closer to ground zero in year
four though than you would have forecast, Aren't it Like
this is the moment of gathering the elite talent out
of the draft and that's a long road to hoe.
Speaker 5 (19:13):
Yeah, and it's a very difficult road too. But again
I was I was on a no illusion as to
the challenge that this job presented, and I've never been
more up for it. And if you look at this
year has been really difficult with injuries, but that the
(19:34):
silver lining to the injuries has been the exposure of
young players that are going to be very good players
for us and for a long period of time. So yes,
it'll be a challenge for us, but we started the
year six and four. I've got enormous faith in the
players on our list, and we'll keep investing and building it.
And as I said at the start, the thing about
(19:55):
success is it's the effort you put into it, and
that reward for effort that gives you the satisfaction, not
just the outcome.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
Is there any part of this that can turbo charge
you want to build? You go back to the draft.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
Decisions that you make here can give you another bigger
hand in this draft.
Speaker 4 (20:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (20:10):
I mean again that these things are a whole of
club decisions. But you know, Zack, aside Jordan's contracted, he
will not be traded under any circumstances. But I mean
the reality is Sam's exercises free agency rights, so there
will be compensation for that. So yeah, it certainly does
add to what's already four picks inside twenty.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
Five, do you yes? And faithful that we will be
watching and listening.
Speaker 3 (20:37):
So what is the overwhelming message or underline message you
want to leave them with? Tonight? They would still be
sitting here going I know, I love.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
That you've fronted up, and I love that you're answering
the questions, but the bottom line is the question mark
remains over Zach Merridale clearly our best player.
Speaker 5 (20:52):
Yeah, and I think that the reasons for Zack going
through this process is that he's so hungry for success.
Speaker 4 (20:59):
And you know, his question is will this.
Speaker 5 (21:01):
Elite young talent mature in time for him to be
part of it? But that leading is difficult, you know,
coaching is difficult. Being a captain and accepting that responsibility
is difficult.
Speaker 4 (21:12):
But the thing that I've.
Speaker 5 (21:14):
Observed at Essendon and our club's been through some really
difficult times.
Speaker 4 (21:18):
They keep fronting up.
Speaker 5 (21:19):
They're frustrated, bordering on angry, but they stick with us.
And I think it's other clubs are jealous of Essence
supporters because what they've been through other clubs might capitulate.
Speaker 4 (21:31):
Our club will still be.
Speaker 5 (21:32):
Here in another one hundred and fifty years, and they'll
stick with us, and they'll see through the vision and
we'll go through some short term difficulties, but it will make
it all worthwhile in the end.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
Do you need Zac to stay publicly and to look
you in the eye and say I'll be with you
come October?
Speaker 4 (21:49):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (21:49):
I think this will play out all in time. I mean,
I'd also add that Zach Merritt was exhausted by the
end of the year.
Speaker 4 (21:58):
He broke his hand.
Speaker 5 (21:59):
Could have easily said this no point coming back. He
played under duress. He is in so many ways such
an incredible on field leader. He needs a break, he
needs a rest, and I don't begrudge him spending some
time with his family and letting me do the talking
at the moment.
Speaker 1 (22:15):
Brad, we appreciate your fronting up. Yep, right, thanks Essendon
coach Brad Scott with us on a tumultuous night for
the Footy Club. Our pairing, our favorite pairing about to
join us. They know a lot about this time of year.
Adam Simpson and John Lonmire with the dynamics of semi
final weekends and what they learned watching the first week
of finals.
Essendon captain Zach Merritz meets with Hawthorne, fueling that the
growing belief he wants out of the Bombers, say his coach,
Brad's got is live at the desk.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
The Crows seek to make amends upter blowing the advantages
of the minor premiership.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
It's a scenario. John Longmeyer has lived.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
And riding the wave of momentum through a September campaign
and the Suns turn one great win into a run.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
You've talked about this, step into it, debrace all of it,
hit in the room and met it.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
It's unedifying for a senior coach to do that. They're
on the side of courtia with the brain, take the
man on it. They played the best footy I've ever
seen at the start of the season, and Inde said
president left. The couple older said, of course they do.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
It's the stuff that legends are made of.
Speaker 4 (00:44):
What is holding the ball?
Speaker 5 (00:46):
I don't think I could answer it clearly right now
that I could do.
Speaker 4 (00:49):
Something wrong, you know, and I need to go and
the board sets me. The fans lover and with no fans, no.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Through sixty year old, I thought Wednesday might have been
the lull gours given we don't play till Friday night.
But it has been no such thing.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Na interesting times have we lived in And I can't
wait for Brad's got to come in and sit down.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
I think there'll be a whole.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Host of footy people and Essen supporters especially that will
be watching on with interest.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Yeah, emotions have been pretty raw throughout the day. Let's
just start down the highway where what should have been
the most innocuous of training sessions given Geelong have the
week off reached a flashpoint when Bailey Smith confronted News
Corp photographer Alison Wines, who had taken that image of
Smith getting treatment before training in full view at the
open part of the session. Smith twice confronted swore and
(01:43):
demandeds that Wine deletes those images, believing it was an
invasion of his personal space.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
That's really disappointing.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
It's unacceptable, it's not good enough and it shouldn't be indulged.
You can't have it both ways, Bailey, That's what we've
got to here, understanding you bravely bear your soul and
then you're under all your good work by beliving a
photographers just trying to do his job, a her job
in this instance, but just be better, Bailey, be a
better man than that. I think the footy world has
(02:13):
tried to understand and except that no one's perfect and
you've got your shortcomings as we all have. But there's
been way way better players than you, mate, that have
had to put up with more than that, and they've
been able to do it with a degree of class.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
So we respect you. Pay it back, pay it back.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
That's just not on I suspect he has a difficult
relationship with the paparazzi side of things, which not many
footballers have to do. That's not what this is. This
is the football environment. It's a safe environment, it's a
shared environment, and there needs to be that respect going
both ways.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Mister Mark badly and I wait to see Geo long
I've got a fantastic record of handling these things, but
we need to hear from them and we need to
hear from him.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
All right, here's what we've got lined up for tonight.
Brad Scott is about to join us. Adam Simpson and
John Longmi are our favorite pairing who have lived a
lot of the scenarios of semi final week, and Jock
Landale is in Town ahead of returning for the NBA preparations.
His Magpies don't play, so his timing is not exactly perfect,
but he's going to come and join us at the
desk after us. It's a big News Night's midweek tackle,
(03:15):
so Lawrence got Corbyn and John Ralph in place. Tomorrow
night is the in depth look at the semifinals first
Crack preview, so a special Thursday Night edition Ben Dixon,
David King and Lee Montagna and that takes us to
the game covering.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Then we turn our attention to Adelaide over will be outstanding,
So full contingent traveling over there. It's going to be outstanding.
We're going to see what happens with an Adelaie Crow side.
They've had a week to contemplate what finals foot is about.
Up against Sam Mitchell and a pretty angry and hungry
Hawthorne team. Outstanding will fly home on Saturday. You'll keep
going head up to the Gamma. All eyes on the
(03:49):
Q clash. So the Brisboo lines take on the Pink Suns.
What about that team there, Sarah Jones heading it up
and Dunstall and Matthews and King and Brown.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
That's locked and loaded, so you might have his merch
on sale at the ground.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Type will be up, you'll be reading chapters from his
book out on the concourse, Fox Footy covering finals, outstanding
over the first round and it's going to be great again.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
All right, four teams to choose from. Who is a
d Day four? Thanks to Ossie brought boun.
Speaker 4 (04:15):
Crows for me. I'm going straight to the top of
the table.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
Crows just they flunked. They got an F.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
That's okay, it's how you respond to the F. It's
not terminal at this stage. They are one of six
teams still who can win this twenty twenty five Premiership
and they wouldn't have felt like it at the end
of the game last week.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
But that's right.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
They're back on the Adelaide Oval and they get a
chance at redemption. They come up against a really hungry,
aggressive Hawthorn side and they've got to match them. If
they don't match them, they'll get bundled aside Again. I've
got a feeling, and I've just got a bit of
a feeling that they can do something in the Crows
after a really disappointing first up effort which leaves you
with one game to do.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Yes, so I'll take the Brisbane lines. Is this going
to be the end of the premiership defense? They have
toiled away stoically under all manner of adversity. They have
been Burnborough, but every now and then sixty two and
a half kilos will break the back. So is that
the moment that we've reached with the Brisbane Lions. There's
a bit of a contradiction here. They are in a
(05:12):
way they're the aging champs. They're actually the youngest still here.
So there's eight under twenty two and they had three
of the four teenagers who played in the first week
of the finals. They're in the line. So it feels
like two things are true at once. What we've admired
is their heart right throughout the year, and every time
they've had a performance like that they have been able
to rebound. There's all. You don't need additional motivation at
(05:35):
this time of year. They are playing for their premiership chances.
They have the crosstown rival who they have kept under
wraps for their whole existence. Are they going to be
able to do it again?
Speaker 2 (05:44):
They don't want to hand up their title to these.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
Upstarts from the Gold Coast.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
John O.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Brown has been massive on the fact that they have
responded the Brisbane Lions every time they've been challenged this year,
and he's confident they can go it again.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
Let's see. I think they're going to be cheeky. They're
not going away Pik.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
No, No, it'll be a hell of a good game.
Both of them will be all right. Let's get to
the top of the agenda. Zach Merrett's future has now
reached flashpoints. No sooner had Essendon's board resolved under no
circumstances to trade its captain than it was revealed that
Merritt had met with bitter rival Hawthorne yesterday. Brad Scott
about to join us. Zach, that the broader conversation around
(06:26):
you which has been had in the industry at the
moment where we casually move players wherever we feel they
should go, is go and be happy somewhere else. Are
you aware of that conversation?
Speaker 6 (06:37):
Yeah, I don't live under a rock and certainly aware
of that.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
So they've had to sell the vision to Zach Merritt,
who's been mentioned again twelve months earlier.
Speaker 4 (06:44):
They had to sit down with him, say, Zach, you're
our captain, please stay we're going to come. Well, they've
had to do it again.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Zach Merrett, the essiting captain, met with Hawthorne on Tuesday
night and he explored away out of the club, emigling
to Zach Merret any truth of it.
Speaker 7 (06:59):
I'm not sure to talk to the list management guys
about that, but I mean I hope that they are
working behind the scenes on improving our list. That's what
their job is, and I hope they're going about that.
Improving our list is what every club's doing.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
I work with Tim Watson, one of the all time greats,
couldn't even contemplate.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
Leursing Zach Merrit.
Speaker 7 (07:15):
He has now got the power to close it all
down once and for all. If I'm Zack, I'd say move, move,
because if you thought about it this often for this long,
and you feel like it's not going to happen, well
then you've got to have the strengthen your convictions.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
You got to move.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
I just can't believe in a world where they can
let the best player captain go skip you just absolutely
unequivocally putting it to bed and saying that's just made
up that stuff.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Yeah, I'm all in. I'm contracted in two more years.
I'm the captain of the footy club. I've got so
much trust.
Speaker 6 (07:52):
In Brad and what he's doing and I really want
to see that through. It's a bit longer than I
probably would hopefully like when I signed four years ago,
but it's pretty clear now these kids are coming through
and I want to take that ultimate success with the
footing club.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
This has played out this desk at various stages this year,
and so it is tonight, Brad Scott.
Speaker 4 (08:13):
Welcome, Thanks Jerret, Thanks Garry.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
Will you blindsided by Zach's meeting with Hawthorne?
Speaker 5 (08:18):
Yeah, that was a surprise to me. I mean I
speak to Zach daily. He's over at my house a
couple of days ago having dinner, so I'm well aware
of Zach's position.
Speaker 4 (08:30):
In terms of you know, he's as it's in the
run running there.
Speaker 5 (08:34):
He talked about our young talent and he's very excited
about the young talent on our list and has got
full confidence in them.
Speaker 4 (08:40):
But he's as hungry for success as.
Speaker 5 (08:43):
Any player that I've ever encountered. And you know, he's
a man in a rash. He's twenty nine. You know,
he's concerned that will the young talent mature enough in
time for him to enjoy that success. But the reality
is that this time last year we recommitted to Zach.
We felt he was underpaid for someone who was performing
(09:04):
at such a high level, so for the second time
in three years.
Speaker 4 (09:07):
We.
Speaker 5 (09:09):
Changed his remuneration to reflect his brilliant performance.
Speaker 4 (09:12):
And he's terrific leadership. So we committed to him.
Speaker 5 (09:16):
You know, he committed to us, and like our CEO
who move into state committed to the club. I came
and made a commitment to the club. I intend to
see my commitment through and I expect our captain to
do the same.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
Has he cheated on you in a footy sense? Taking
that meeting yesterday.
Speaker 5 (09:29):
Look, I think we've all got to accept that the
old school, the old timers, Gary, we probably have a
problem with it. And this is the second club captain
Sam Mitchell's met with in one year. The difference is
our club captain is contracted for another two years. So
I think you've got to accept that that players are
(09:49):
going to do this and now coaches are doing it.
But I think that the reality is that Zach's a
process driven guy. He wants He's got a checklist, he'll
go through his process and he likes to come to
his own conclusion. So in a way, this is Zach
just doing his due diligence. But it feels like we've
(10:09):
done our due diligence to out of the last three
years and we have a really clear vision. It's a
real It's been a really challenging year for a number
of reasons, but we've all made a commitment. And the
thing about a commitment is that the reward at the
end of it is not guaranteed. But the thing I've
learned about success is that it's fantastic when you get it,
(10:32):
But it's the journey and the effort and the blood,
sweat and tears that you put in to the process
to get the success that's the reward, not the outcome.
It's not the premiership medal or the winning finals. It's
the work that you put in with other people, the
commitment you make to people, that's the reward. The outcome
is just reward for the effort.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
If he comes to you and says he doesn't believe
in your vision anymore and he wants to go and
chase it elsewhere, will you entertain trading him?
Speaker 4 (10:58):
Well, the reality is his vision as well.
Speaker 5 (11:01):
I mean he is, he's invested in our club and
he's been kept right up to speed with the vision.
And it's been a challenging year. I mean we started
the year at six and four. I mean we had
even challenges at that stage, but then you know, the
injury crisis has been well documented throughout the year, so
you know, but again, I can't stress enough that, you know,
(11:23):
I love this bloke, like I think he's an incredible player.
I've rarely seen anyone like him, you know, and and
playing group almost make fun of me for constantly, you know,
referring to Zach and his on field deeds and his
will to win is unbelievable. And if he does have
a chink in his armor, it's that that will to
(11:46):
win and that desperation for success. He sometimes wears his
heart on his sleeve and he shows that frustration. But
if that's the biggest chink that he's got, you know,
it's not the worst one.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
But if he says he wants out or you hold
him against.
Speaker 5 (11:59):
His will our club, he's contracted captain, so our club's
position is that we will not be trading him under
any circumstances.
Speaker 3 (12:07):
Can he still be a captain if he wants, if
he requests a trade?
Speaker 2 (12:10):
Can you still lead your football club? Share your vision?
I'm watching and watching you. You feel and look like
you really, you know, personally hurt by this.
Speaker 5 (12:19):
Well, it's not about me personally, it's about our club.
I feel like I talk to our supporters, I talk
to our members, and at the end of all of
those conversations, I'd say the same thing to all of
our supporters, say stick with us, And almost to a
man or woman, they say, through thick and thin, I'm
rustled on. They've been through some really difficult times and
(12:41):
the real carrot for me to come to us was
to see this through. So you know, it has been
a challenge. But again I understand Zach. I love Zach,
and he's just so desperate for success that you know,
he wears his heart on his sleeve and he goes
through these these these moments. But our position is he's
(13:01):
our captain. He's contracted for two years, We've adjusted his
contract to reflect his performance, and we expect him to see.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
It through it does Can can he be captain?
Speaker 3 (13:10):
Then?
Speaker 5 (13:11):
Of course he can be captain because the thing about
no one's perfect, you know, and and I talk about
there are a lot of players that I think are geniuses,
but there are a lot of flawed geniuses too. No
one's perfect, and I don't think anyone's captains he's perfect.
Anyone's coaching ability is perfect. It's a it's a learning
process and so of course he can be captain.
Speaker 4 (13:32):
But will will it.
Speaker 5 (13:33):
Be a challenge based on this situation? Absolutely it will be.
But I've seen him have become bigger challenges than this.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
I'm going to push you on it because effectively you
could be holding.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
Him against his will.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
You're going to say no, no, you start, you're contracted,
so the captain, dry black and white. You're holding the
player against his will. I've got to say, I'm finding
it hard for him then to be a leader of
foota club.
Speaker 4 (13:55):
Yeah, I don't. I don't see it that way.
Speaker 5 (13:57):
He made a commitment play and a lot of agents
are running at the moment with just sign long term
contracts and if you want to move or move you well,
that's not the world I live in. The world I
live in is you make a commitment and you see
it through.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
Are you disappointed? It's got to this in him? I
know you love him.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
You say you love him, the player say you love him,
to the point where it's yet he's still is exploring.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
Is that disappoint you?
Speaker 4 (14:21):
Yeah, well, I know it's probably too.
Speaker 5 (14:24):
It's not a great analogy because you know your family's
your family, but you know your players know they feel
like s a good family, and in a way I
treat them like I treat my kids, and my kids
make mistakes all the time. I'm still their father and
I'm still his coach, and my job is to lead
the club and to have Zach by my side helping
(14:47):
us through this difficult time is really important, is.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
What Sam Mitchell's doing? Fair? Reasonable? Oh well, it angered you.
Speaker 4 (14:58):
I think the world's changing. You know, there would there
be a time and.
Speaker 5 (15:01):
A place in which I'd be, you know, pretty disappointed.
But the reality is now the gloves are off and
all fair, all's fair and love war, and that's the
path they want to go down.
Speaker 4 (15:11):
Then you know we'll play it that game to So
you've spoken.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
Have you spoken to Zach today?
Speaker 5 (15:16):
Not today, but I spoke to him yesterday. I speake
to him most every day.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
But in the aftermath of this is the implication is
he's made a mistake. But what if he doesn't see
it that way when you talk to him next. What
if he said, I'm eyes wide open here and I'm done.
I've got no energy left for it, Brad.
Speaker 5 (15:32):
But the board's position is that he's a contracted captain.
He made a commitment, and I support that position.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
Your relationship with your senior players. So yeah, if bad
wants out, if Draper wants to change, if Ridley wants out,
is that in question?
Speaker 3 (15:49):
Now do you sit there and look at that or not?
Speaker 4 (15:52):
No?
Speaker 5 (15:53):
There For a start, I mean, my relationship with Zach
is very good, so you know, and he's spoken publicly
to that. So regardless of what happens, that will never change. Draper,
I think, is a completely different situation. For a start,
He's an uncontracted free agent who over the last ten
(16:13):
years has had an ACL, a PCL, chronic roin hip problems, now.
Speaker 4 (16:20):
A ruptured achilles.
Speaker 5 (16:22):
He's never played more than fifteen games in any single season.
I don't think we can begrudge him for being mentally
and physically exhausted and feeling like he needs, in his words.
Speaker 4 (16:35):
A fresh start.
Speaker 5 (16:36):
So the fact that he's waited until September to make
a decision that he was so torn to make talks
to that it wasn't easy.
Speaker 4 (16:45):
He didn't want just went out.
Speaker 5 (16:47):
He was, as I said, mentally and physically exhausted and
in a difficult spot.
Speaker 4 (16:52):
And he's made a.
Speaker 5 (16:53):
Decision that the competition now supports in terms of free agency.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
And Ridley and Lavert and those players.
Speaker 5 (17:03):
Yeah, Ridley, I was a lot of players I was
excited to coach when I came to Essendon. Jordan was
one of those. Unfortunately I haven't had the opportunity to
do that. I mean, he just not only is he
not played, he hasn't trained. So you know, we we
have made significant changes to our high performance team. The
appointment of Matt Inness is a coup for us, you know,
(17:26):
as someone that we hold in extremely high regard. You know,
we've made another appointment in our high performance area. So
we've revamped that space. And again I would expect someone
of Jordan Ridley's talent and capability to be frustrated with
the last couple of years.
Speaker 4 (17:43):
But again we.
Speaker 5 (17:44):
Went back felt he was under remunerated for the level
of capability and talent that he has and we recontracted
him for another four years, so we made the commitment
to him and he'll be seeing out his four years
with us.
Speaker 1 (17:59):
How significant has the list strategy changed from so you
took the job in September twenty twenty two to where
we sit here now.
Speaker 5 (18:08):
I think it always changes and evolves. I mean, there's
always a plan. Every club's got a plan, but it
changes based on acquisitions, players who go, players or inform,
all of those things.
Speaker 4 (18:19):
But I think I have a bias to.
Speaker 5 (18:23):
Build, to want to build, and our position in the
draft this year reflects that we've got at this stage
four picks inside twenty five, so our position is that
we're already I think, one of the youngest and most
inexperienced lists in the competition, which again speaks to Zach.
He loves the talent, but is it going to get
(18:43):
there quickly enough for him? And I think that's a
valid question for him. But the simple answer is, Jared,
it hasn't changed that much. It's evolved a little bit,
but clearly we need to keep investing in elite talent
and the only way you can or the easiest way
to bring an elite talent is through the draft, and
that's what we're targeting.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
You're going to be closer to ground zero in year
four though than you would have forecast, Aren't it Like
this is the moment of gathering the elite talent out
of the draft and that's a long road to hoe.
Speaker 5 (19:13):
Yeah, and it's a very difficult road too. But again
I was I was on a no illusion as to
the challenge that this job presented, and I've never been
more up for it. And if you look at this
year has been really difficult with injuries, but that the
(19:34):
silver lining to the injuries has been the exposure of
young players that are going to be very good players
for us and for a long period of time. So yes,
it'll be a challenge for us, but we started the
year six and four. I've got enormous faith in the
players on our list, and we'll keep investing and building it.
And as I said at the start, the thing about
(19:55):
success is it's the effort you put into it, and
that reward for effort that gives you the satisfaction, not
just the outcome.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
Is there any part of this that can turbo charge
you want to build? You go back to the draft.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
Decisions that you make here can give you another bigger
hand in this draft.
Speaker 4 (20:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (20:10):
I mean again that these things are a whole of
club decisions. But you know, Zack, aside Jordan's contracted, he
will not be traded under any circumstances. But I mean
the reality is Sam's exercises free agency rights, so there
will be compensation for that. So yeah, it certainly does
add to what's already four picks inside twenty.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
Five, do you yes? And faithful that we will be
watching and listening.
Speaker 3 (20:37):
So what is the overwhelming message or underline message you
want to leave them with? Tonight? They would still be
sitting here going I know, I love.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
That you've fronted up, and I love that you're answering
the questions, but the bottom line is the question mark
remains over Zach Merridale clearly our best player.
Speaker 5 (20:52):
Yeah, and I think that the reasons for Zack going
through this process is that he's so hungry for success.
Speaker 4 (20:59):
And you know, his question is will this.
Speaker 5 (21:01):
Elite young talent mature in time for him to be
part of it? But that leading is difficult, you know,
coaching is difficult. Being a captain and accepting that responsibility
is difficult.
Speaker 4 (21:12):
But the thing that I've.
Speaker 5 (21:14):
Observed at Essendon and our club's been through some really
difficult times.
Speaker 4 (21:18):
They keep fronting up.
Speaker 5 (21:19):
They're frustrated, bordering on angry, but they stick with us.
And I think it's other clubs are jealous of Essence
supporters because what they've been through other clubs might capitulate.
Speaker 4 (21:31):
Our club will still be.
Speaker 5 (21:32):
Here in another one hundred and fifty years, and they'll
stick with us, and they'll see through the vision and
we'll go through some short term difficulties, but it will make
it all worthwhile in the end.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
Do you need Zac to stay publicly and to look
you in the eye and say I'll be with you
come October?
Speaker 4 (21:49):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (21:49):
I think this will play out all in time. I mean,
I'd also add that Zach Merritt was exhausted by the
end of the year.
Speaker 4 (21:58):
He broke his hand.
Speaker 5 (21:59):
Could have easily said this no point coming back. He
played under duress. He is in so many ways such
an incredible on field leader. He needs a break, he
needs a rest, and I don't begrudge him spending some
time with his family and letting me do the talking
at the moment.
Speaker 1 (22:15):
Brad, we appreciate your fronting up. Yep, right, thanks Essendon
coach Brad Scott with us on a tumultuous night for
the Footy Club. Our pairing, our favorite pairing about to
join us. They know a lot about this time of year.
Adam Simpson and John Lonmire with the dynamics of semi
final weekends and what they learned watching the first week
of finals.
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