Merrett has become a Hawk. This is how they are likely to land King next

In striking contrast to last year’s protracted, ugly and ultimately failed move, this year Zach Merrett became a Hawthorn player on the opening day of trade period.

Merrett will move to Hawthorn in exchange for picks 15 and 25 in this year’s draft and a future second-round draft pick. The 31-year-old Merrett, who just won a record-equalling seventh Crichton Medal as Essendon’s best and fairest, has signed a four-year deal worth $1 million a year with the Hawks.

Hawthorn’s best offer for Merrett last year was three first-round draft picks – selections 10 and 22 at the time in the 2025 draft year – their first round pick in this year’s 2026 national draft and fringe midfielder Henry Hustwaite (who was delisted by the club last week).

The swift move to secure Merrett this year suggests Hawthorn are confident that they can spend their draft capital believing they won’t need to use it to form part of a trade for restricted free agent Ben King from Gold Coast.

It indicates the Hawks are confident the Suns will not match their offer for King and instead accept a first-round draft pick – currently selection seven – as compensation.

On Tuesday, young Hawthorn forward Aidan Schubert will fly to the Gold Coast and be joined by his parents – flying up from the family home in Gawler, South Australia – to tour the Suns’ facilities and consider a move after just one year at the Hawks.

The move for Schubert is a standalone trade, separate from the King free agency move, but the Hawks being open to trading the player they took in last year’s national draft clearly creates goodwill for the Suns not to match the contract terms for King.

Having arrived at Hawthorn as pick 23 last year, a future second-round selection is likely to form the basis of the deal this year.

Schubert, who played one game for the Hawks this season, was shocked and disappointed to discover the Hawks were open to trading him. For Hawthorn, however, after securing King and then re-signing Calsher Dear, there was a tight squeeze for spots for key forwards in a starting line-up in this year’s preliminary final that already included Jack Gunston, Mitch Lewis and Mabior Chol.

The last year has changed a lot of things for the Hawks, with the club moving swiftly this year to engage with Essendon about a trade.

“You do look and learn from what you do from previous trade periods, and we’ve done that,” Hawthorn list boss Mark McKenzie said earlier on Monday about the Merrett negotiations.

McKenzie said the form of midfielder Cam Mackenzie and the emergence of Josh Ward in this year’s finals series in particular would not be harmed by Merrett’s arrival.

“I think the strength of Sam [Mitchell] and the coaching group is that they’ve been able to show their ability to move around players and play them in different positions, so the versatility of some of these guys – Cam’s played a bit more forward at times and wing, and Josh Ward’s done that as well,” McKenzie said.

“So it was great this year to see the development of those players. But don’t be surprised to see a lot of those players, whether it is a new player who comes into the football club playing in a different position as well at times.

“I think the strength of the coaching group has been able to use that mechanism to go half-back, wing, midfield, or forward with a lot of our midfielders. So, I wouldn’t think that’ll change him anytime soon.”

That said, Merrett will play midfield.