Hawthorn captain James Sicily is already eyeing a “heightened atmosphere” in the Round 1 grudge match with Essendon after the AFL rivals traded recruiting blows in the off-season.

The Hawks’ pursuit of star midfielder Zach Merrett blindsided the Bombers, who ultimately held firm on their contracted skipper in the trade period despite his desire to leave.

It then emerged Essendon had returned fire by making Hawks gun Josh Weddle a mammoth offer, one year before his existing contract is due to run out.

The AFL hopes to cash in on the animosity between the clubs at the start of the 2026 season, with a crowd of more than 80,000 tipped for their MCG clash on March 13.

“There’s a lot of history there and the games are usually big, but obviously there’s the extra added theatre with what hap

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