ADMITTING it has been "uncomfortable" and "not ideal", Essendon has refused captain Zach Merrett's bid to join Hawthorn.
While Sydney secured a deal for Carlton star Charlie Curnow only a few minutes before Wednesday night's deadline, the Bombers held firm in fraught negotiations.
TRADE HUB All the latest player movement news
Merrett's manager Tom Petroro, who had said earlier on Wednesday the star midfielder was "all in" on joining the Hawks, was seen on video footage having animated discussions with Hawthorn officials as it became clear there would be no deal.
Essendon list boss Matt Rosa would not buy into whether Merrett will stay captain, only saying the Bombers will decide their player leadership in the off-season.
Soon after the 7.30pm deadline, Rosa told media Essendon had negotiations with Hawthorn "out of respect" for Merrett.
The Hawks' initial offer only arrived on Tuesday and was rejected out of hand.
They used a trade of draft picks with Carlton on Wednesday to strengthen the offer, but again Essendon did not budge.
Merrett blindsided the Bombers a month ago when news broke he had met with Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell.
He is signed until the end of 2027, but was desperate to leave for Hawthorn as he chases team success.
"Not ideal ... it's been uncomfortable. We didn't want to be in this situation," Rosa said.
"We've been really clear all along that Zach's a required player, he's an important part of what we're doing. We believe in what we're doing.
"We've kept our players in the loop the whole time, our staff. Zach is really well-liked, the players want him back.
"Zach understands that. He's a professional and we look forward to him coming back over summer."
Rosa conceded the start of pre-season training might be "awkward", but was adamant Merrett's bid to leave would not destabilise the club as it tries to rise out of the bottom four.
"No - we're confident we'll all work together. We'll continue to have open dialogue," he said.
Hawthorn list boss Mark McKenzie did not rule out another bid for Merrett in 12 months' time, adding they were "definitely disappointed" the trade did not happen.
"We put our best foot forward with the deal we thought was very strong and reasonable. It just didn't get done," McKenzie said.
"What we have done is put ourselves in a great position for this year's draft, but then to go again next year.
"We want to be aggressive, we haven't made a secret out of ... going after those high-end talented players and that will happen again."
