In making the call to hang on to their skipper Zach Merrett, rather than trade him to Hawthorn for a few handy rather than knockout draft picks, Essendon’s board decided his legacy to the club would prevail over pragmatism.

That’s fair enough.

Club figures such as Merrett can be pivotal to an era and he is, alongside former teammate Dyson Heppell, this era’s only shining light.

So, having made that call to hang on to Merrett, it’s now the responsibility of everyone at the club to not only connect him to Essendon’s next high point, but make every moment he spends at the club enjoyable and worthwhile.

He deserves that, as long as he is prepared to accept he will still get much out of his experiences at the club moving forward.

Of course, footy is about winning. But it is also about belo

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