Carlton superstar Charlie Curnow became a Swan and Melbourne gun Christian Petracca is on his way to the Gold Coast but Essendon captain Zach Merrett’s failed bid to join Hawthorn is the biggest talking point out of this year’s trade period.

Merrett and his manager, Tom Petroro of TGI Sport, made it clear on Deadline Day that the Bombers skipper wanted to be playing in the brown and gold in 2026.

And the Hawks wanted him, the problem was, the Bombers didn’t want to trade him, or rather, the two clubs couldn’t strike a deal that would appease both parties.

Grand Final

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