Matthew Lloyd's instant reaction to Zach Merrett's trade to Hawthorn

On the line now is Lloydy, 3W Football and Essendon legend, because, Lloydy, you've got some news. This is exciting.

It is for two clubs, I think. I suppose some Bombers fans would be disappointed because a seven-time best and fairest winner in Zach Merritt. has departed and he's joined Hawthorne. So, yeah, the deal is that Essendon received pick 15 and pick 25 in this year's draft and then a second rounder in the 2028 draft. So they didn't want to probably get a pick in next year's draft because it's all going to Tasmania, but pick 15 and 25 and Merritt gets what he wants and that's to go to Hawthorne.

Okay, so what's your view on this as an Essendon legend? Who got the better deal here?

I think it's slightly better than last year's deal that Hawthorne offered. But I think it's a win-win in terms of Hawthorne probably would have won a premiership this year or there's a big chance they would have if they had Zach Merritt. So now they'll go in as favourites, I would imagine, with Merritt and Ben King joining them next year. Essendon with where they're at their stage of their list they might try and get five picks inside 25 in this year's draft with now 15 and 25 so in the short term definitely Hawthorne are the winner but hopefully the Bombers can be the winners over the long term.

How does the general Essendon football community feel about it and him leaving?

I think it was really raw last year, Jackie. When it first happened, it got nasty between the two clubs, whereas all year everyone has just expected that Merritt would be leaving the club. So I'm very comfortable with it. When someone wants to leave your club two years straight, your best is to let them go and not try and hold on to them.

And just quickly, thanks for all your work on the program this year too. We've loved having you and I didn't get to thank you before our break, but what an amazing grand final it was.

Oh, yeah. Unbelievable. The best there's been, yeah. The standard of football, the quality of the two teams, and then Fremantle had it. They did so much right, just didn't play out the last four minutes, and probably went into their shell, and after Wharfie time, Brisbane said, we've just got to take risks. We've just got to be willing to lose by a lot to win this game, and every risk they took paid off, and I don't know how they did it, but they made every play work in four minutes and they got over the line.

Do you ever want to hear Wolfie Time played again?

I thought it was overrated in the first place because I thought when you go into state, it's that intense anyway and the roar of the crowd is that full on that I never thought you needed something up on the scoreboard to help you anyway. So I'm sure they'll do it again just because it's pretty embarrassing if we never see it again. But I think it should come from the coach's box. I know they've got a lot to do, but I don't know who called it, but it should be done by someone within your coaching structure, not by anybody outside of the coaching team.

Lloydy, always good to get your thoughts. Thank you. That is Matthew Lloyd.