“It’s a lot of cash“: Tom Morris explains St Kilda’s audacious bid to lure Zach Merrett

Tom Morris has further explained his bombshell report that St Kilda is preparing an audacious bid to tempt Essendon captain Zach Merrett to the club.

Morris says that those around the 28-year-old are aware of the sheer amount of cash the Saints are willing to offer him.

This, coupled with what is a front-ended contract at the Dons could be what makes Merrett consider the move, even though nothing is on the table just yet.

“St Kilda is preparing a bid to lure Zach Merrett to Moorabbin. There’s been no formal contract offer. I can’t make it any more clear than that, but the way these things work is that the club says to his management ‘this is what we’d be prepared to offer if we can get him out’, the Saints have initiated this,” Morris told SEN Breakfast.

“People close to Merrett are aware of the sort of money the Saints are prepared to offer. It’s a lot of cash, I’m told.

“He’s not even on $1 million at the moment, he doesn’t have full TPP (total player payments), he’s on a front-ended contract, he doesn’t make a lot in the last three years and the Saints are trying to blow him out of the water when it comes to the cash.

“I think Merrett, and this is absolutely certain, he is frustrated that he hasn’t been able to play consistent finals and he is adamant that he wants to play finals footy. Clubs are definitely aware of that fact.”

Nathan Buckley believes Merrett is entitled to explore his options, given what he has given to the Bombers versus what the club has achieved so far in his career.

“I think Zach is a player who has understands his football mortality and is hungry for success and being a part of an organisation that feels is going in the right direction,” Buckley said.

“He’s absolutely entitled to have a look. What he contributes compared to what he’s gotten back, it’s worthy of consideration.

“If a club came to him and sold him, it wouldn’t just be selling him on cash, it would be about coming on their journey and them being able to provide him what he wants out of his career.

“That doesn’t surprise me that St Kilda feels they could do that.”

Kane Cornes however simply cannot see a world where the Dons even contemplate parting ways with their contracted skipper.

“Just play it out, he’s the captain of the footy club, contracted long-term … it just couldn’t happen,” Cornes said.

Morris agrees, but says the sheer amount of money being thrown around makes anything possible.

“I can’t see it happening either, but it doesn’t mean the Saints aren’t having a crack,” he said.

“More clubs are having a crack than ever because there’s more money on the table now than there ever has been because of the uptick in the CBA and the broadcast rights agreement.

“People who say ‘oh it’s just a conversation’ don’t understand that it has become more advanced than that because people around Merrett are acutely aware of the money that’s on the table if he wants to have that discussion.”