Bombers captain Zach Merrett has broken his silence about his desire for a fresh start following his highly-publicised meeting with Hawks coach Sam Mitchell.
Merrett and the Bombers have had a tumultuous fortnight, with Merrett's camp pushing for a contract release. The club publicly says it wishes to hold onto his services, but Essendon has been accused of leaking dirt on the captain as the situation becomes increasingly ugly.
Speaking to 9News' chief AFL reporter, Tom Morris, at the Brownlow Medal on Monday night, Merrett admitted that while it has been a challenging time, he still feels supported by the club.
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"It's been a difficult time for me and my family. I've had constant dialogue with the club and have felt their support," he said.
"It's been difficult, but that's the industry we are in, and I understand that."
Merrett sat on Essendon's table on Monday, but his attendance at the club's presentation night later this week remains up in the air. He is expected to win a sixth club best and fairest medal.
While Merrett acknowledged his love for the club, he stated that his future is undecided and a resolution will be reached through private conversations in the coming weeks.
"I still feel the love [from Essendon]. It's a place that I absolutely adore and have for 12 years.
"What happens beyond that, I don't know yet, but I love it regardless, and I still feel like [coach] Brad [Scott] has love and support for me.
"We will see what happens in the next few weeks as we work through what is next for all of us.
"There're plenty of factors at play and a fair bit of uncertainty as well.
"I will go into more detail at a later date. For the moment, I'll get through tonight, wake up tomorrow and get back to training.
"Like I say, there will be conversations behind closed doors with the appropriate stakeholders, and we'll see where it lands."
Several of Merrett's teammates have publicly expressed their disappointment over the trade speculation.
Mason Redman and Nic Martin have both spoken to media, with Redman admitting his "initial thought is disappointment" and Martin saying he was "hurt" and "a little bit angry" by the news of Merrett's meeting with Hawthorn.
However, Dons vice-captain Andrew McGrath emphasised that while the public might believe the team is divided, the group remains connected.
"I think publicly it seems that way [that the group is fractured], but internally we're all connected," he told 3AW.
"We're all in our off-season programs at the moment, we're training together, doing a lot of work together, and there's obviously a lot of noise, but internally we feel connected and we look forward to getting back to work."
Asked about Merrett specifically, McGrath expressed his support for players exploring what is best for them, stating he would stand by his skipper through the external pressure.
"I speak to Zach as a friend, as a colleague, as a teammate; we don't speak about that sort of thing," he said.
"Looking forward to spending some time with him tonight. It's been a tough couple of weeks, but as teammates, we wrap our arms around him and look after our own.
"There's obviously a bit of confusion when you hear it through the media and when a lot is going on, but internally we understand the industry, every player has the right to do what is best for them … we'll support him all the way through."
Merrett is contracted with the Bombers until the end of 2027.
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