Former Collingwood premiership star Heath Shaw has suggested that Essendon free agent Zach Merrett is overrated, believing the club would not feel his departure all that heavily.
Merrett's future has become one of the AFL's biggest talking points this season, with the 25-year-old admitting he has not made a definitive decision on what he'll do.
However, Shaw, who played 325 games for the Magpies and GWS Giants, said Bombers fans shouldn't be "too upset" if Merrett did indeed decide to walk out on the club.
"I do love the honesty, but I'll be honest with you Zach, I don't think you're that great," Shaw said on 7AFL's Heater & Daisy Show.
"So, you are saying I'm undecided on my future, or maybe saying he's a very important part, but you know what? He got kicked out of the leadership group for a reason … because he wasn't a good leader.
"I'm not sure he's that great. If I was Essendon, I wouldn't be playing hardball, but I wouldn't be too upset if he left.
"If he leaves, get a couple of draft picks."
Merrett has played in all eight of Essendon's games this season and has averaged a team-high and a career-high 31.4 disposals per contest so far in 2021.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.