Essendon CEO Craig Vozzo joined SEN to address the ongoing situation around Club captain Zach Merrett.

Craig reaffirmed the Club’s strong stance on retaining him and acknowledging the situation surrounding his leadership and future at the Bombers.

Craig on… Zach's position

As Brad mentioned last night, the board’s position is strong. Zach is contracted for the next two years, and he's an important part of where we're heading. He'll be at our Club.

Craig on… The ongoing conversations

We’ve been in constant dialogue with his manager, Tom Petroro, and with Zach himself. Brad’s been speaking to him pretty much every day. We've maintained that position from day one.

Craig on… The relationship

Zach is a highly driven guy. It's been a long season. He’s talked to us about where he’s at in his career. He's excited about the young talent on our list, but he's also working through if that aligns with where he wants to go.

It's not the first time this sort of thing has happened at a footy Club. We saw it last year with Christian Petracca. You respect each other’s positions, you move forward. That’s how it works.

Craig on… Captaincy

Being captain is the highest honour at a football Club, an honour and a privilege. If I was making an emotional decision today, I’d say, no way Zach can remain captain. But it doesn’t work like that, you have to take the emotion out.

The position of his teammates will be critical. In every leadership process I’ve been involved in, the playing group’s view matters most. That will play out in time. Those decisions are usually made between January and February.

Craig on… Culture and Jordan Ridley

Bridges need to be mended, no doubt, but Jordan is very different to Zach. His frustrations have mostly been around high performance and soft tissue injuries. We’ve appointed Matthew Inness to lead our high performance and medical teams, and David Regan as the Senior Strength and Conditioning Coach has come on board as well.

We've made big changes there because we want constant improvement, not just for Jordan, but for all players.

Craig on… AFL contracts

I’m a players’ person. I’ve always believed in looking after players. But when long-term contracts are signed, players give up a level of flexibility. That’s part of the deal. You're given security, but you take on responsibility.

AFL is different. It’s not like overseas sport. Players can't be moved without consent, but clubs can hold players even if there’s friction. That’s something we need to work through.

Craig on… Communication and relationships

That’s the first I’ve heard of treatment or communication issues. Building connection and culture is a constant journey. We’re working on it. It’s not about pointing fingers or blaming individuals. It’s about continuing to get better, especially with a young playing group.

Craig on… Hawthorn speaking to Zach

I know Mitch well. It doesn’t surprise me, but… a Club captain, under contract for two more years? Yeah, I didn’t like that. But that’s life.