Zach Merrett will depart Essendon this off-season, leaving a legacy as one of the club's greatest players of the 21st century.
A trade was finalised in the Continental Tyres AFL Trade Period on Monday, sending the three-time All-Australian to Hawthorn in exchange for picks No.15 and 25 in this year's National Draft, as well as Hawthorn's 2028 second-round pick.
Across 13 seasons and 274 games, Merrett etched himself into the club's history with an equal-record seven Crichton Medals as best and fairest, as well as four of a possible six McCracken Medals for embodying Essendon's values on-field.
Essendon CEO Tim Roberts praised Merrett for the professionalism, performance and standards he set during his time in red and black.
"Zach Merrett is a champion of our football club," Roberts said.
"It's always hard to see a player of Zach's standing leave, but it doesn't take away from what he achieved here, or the pride he gave our members and supporters over 13 seasons.
"Zach set the bar for what it takes to be an elite footballer. His preparation, his consistency and his refusal to accept anything less than his best became the standard others were measured against, and the work he did guiding our younger players in recent years will benefit this club for a long time."
Merrett joined the club with pick No.26 in the 2013 National Draft, and it wasn't long before the Dons faithful realised the talent they had on their hands. He won the Lindsay Griffiths Award as the club's best young player in his second season.
Regarded as the defining Bomber of his generation, Merrett has built a list of accolades that places him among the club's greats.
Since 2016, the season in which he won his first Crichton at the age of 20, he has finished in the top three of the best and fairest every year bar one.
Only Bill Hutchison has polled more Brownlow votes for Essendon than Merrett, who has 169 votes at an average of 0.62 per game.
Where some players falter under the weight of the captaincy, Merrett flourished, producing two of arguably the best seasons of his career during his stint as skipper from 2023-'25.
He thrived on the big stage, winning the Yiooken Award for his Dreamtime performance in 2023 and earning best afield honours in the drawn Anzac Day clash in 2024.
Even after stepping away from the captaincy, Merrett was typically brilliant in his final season as a Don, leaving fans with the lasting memory of a clutch late goal against Port Adelaide in his final game, while playing through injury.
"When people look back on this era of Essendon, Zach's name will be one of the first they mention," Roberts said.
"We thank Zach for everything he has given Essendon. We wish him, his partner Alexandra and son Jude all the best, and they'll always be welcome at our club."
