Potential Merrett trade a 'changer for the Hawks'
Moderated by Tomas Kauer 
Essendon is said to have no interest in trading captain and decorated midfielder Zach Merrett to Hawthorn if all that's offered is two first-round picks.
And that begs the question: should the Bombers agree to a trade if the Hawks can cough up any more?
"I think Zach Merrett changes them from being a top-four or top-six team to potentially a grand finalist," James Hird said in reply to that very question on Nine's Footy Furnace on Wednesday night.
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"He's the sort of player they exactly need."
Jimmy Bartel agreed.
"He's certainly a changer for the Hawks," Bartel said on Footy Furnace.
"The Hawks were exceptional this year, I think we all acknowledge out of the finals series. Will Day comes back into that side.
"But they were another midfielder, and a quality midfielder, short of being [there] on the last day in September."
Merrett and his management are yet to request a trade despite having made it clear that he does not want to be a Bomber next year.
But they have until 7.30pm AEDT next Wednesday to get a trade done.
Merrett met with Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell in the week leading up to the Hawks' semi-final against the Crows.
9News' Tom Morris said new Essendon president Andrew Welsh had made his stance clear: the club will not be entertaining a trade for Merrett ... unless Hawthorn's offer is "exceptional".
Which is not surprising given the calibre of player — a triple All-Australian, a six-time best and fairest, the 2024 Anzac Medallist, and Essendon's skipper.
"For me, nothing below two first-rounders is going to get in the conversation," said AFL Media's Callum Twomey.
"It's not going to get done in two first-round picks. It's just not going to get done.
"So there's going to have to be more added to it if it's going to shake their [the Bombers'] view."
