Essendon star Zach Merrett says his decision to turn his back on free agency and all but cement himself as a one-club player is a testament to the new environment under senior coach Ben Rutten.
Merrett, 25, signed a six-year contract extension on Thursday, ending months of external speculation about his playing future.
The dual Crichton medallist said the shift under Rutten and other key leaders of the football department had sealed his commitment, pointing to the growth of several teammates as a reflection of the Bombers’ upwards trajectory.
“The biggest change has been ‘Truck’ (Rutten) taking over, and his clarity around what he expects and wants from the club, combined with ‘Mahons’’ (general manager of football Josh Mahoney) and Adrian’s (general manager of list and recruiting Adrian Dodoro) strategy,” Merrett said.
“That all provides a great combination of people, characters and personalities, which is going to allow us as a group to be really consistent and have the best chance of success on the field.
“To see the emergence of ‘Coxy’ (Nik Cox) and ‘Perko’ (Archie Perkins) and those first-year players has been great, but for me the most exciting part has been the growth internally of players like Laverde, Langford, Darcy Parish, Nick Hind and Mason Redman - guys who have been on our list for a little bit and are starting to capture form and play closer to their potential.
“That’s a reflection of the program and environment that’s been created over the past six months. It’s been very strong.”
While “leaning towards staying” since the start of pre-season in November, Merrett revealed he made the decision to stay a Bomber after the narrow defeat to GWS in round eight – his 150th game in the red and black.
“I think ultimately I made my mind up after the Giants game. We’d had a few close losses, but it felt like everything we were trying to implement for the last three to six months was starting to come out,” he said.
“Following that, we had a few wins, and everyone thought I was probably changing my mind then, but it was pre that three-week block where it felt like things were starting to turn, and it was really exciting.”
Merrett’s six-year contract extension will take him to the end of 2027 and the age of 31, all but making him a Bomber for life after he was drafted to the club at pick No.26 in the 2013 national draft.
He said the romanticism of being a one-club player weighed heavily on his decision.
“It’s still a special feeling and meaning in Australian sport or any sport to be a one-club player. It’s pretty frantic now and obviously guys shift clubs a lot more,” he said.
“That (loyalty) was a pretty strong tie. To have a legacy and leave the club in a much better place than when I walked in was something I was super keen to commit to.”
