Essendon trades captain Zach Merrett to Hawthorn

Essendon traded captain Zach Merrett to Hawthorn on Monday, Essendon confirmed. The deal ends a year-long pursuit after last year's talks failed. Hawthorn, beaten in the preliminary final by premiers Brisbane, adds a seven-time best-and-fairest winner. Merrett says he weighed leaving for six to nine months.