Former Essendon captain Zach Merrett has finally secured his big-money move to Hawthorn after the two clubs went to work on the first day of the AFL trade period.

A year after negotiations stalled and the Bombers refused to trade the midfielder, they came to the table with the Hawks on Monday.

Merrett, who was under contract at Essendon for next season, will head to Hawthorn in exchange for picks No.15 and No.25 in this year’s draft, plus a 2028 second-round pick.

The 31-year-old is set to sign a four-year deal worth $4 million at the Hawks.

In a statement after the trade went through, Essendon lauded Merrett as having left “a legacy as one of the club’s greatest players of the 21st century”.

“Zach Merrett is a champion of our football club,” CEO Tim Roberts said.

“It’s always hard to see a player of Zach’s standing leave, but it doesn’t take away from what he achieved here, or the pride he gave our members and supporters over 13 seasons.

“Zach set the bar for what it takes to be an elite footballer. His preparation, his consistency and his refusal to accept anything less than his best became the standard others were measured against, and the work he did guiding our younger players in recent years will benefit this club for a long time.

“When people look back on this era of Essendon, Zach’s name will be one of the first they mention. We thank Zach for everything he has given Essendon. We wish him, his partner Alexandra and son Jude all the best, and they’ll always be welcome at our club.”

Progress in the trade talks emerged just hours after Dons list boss Matt Rosa attempted to fox over the situation.

“We’ve had really respectful discussions with Zach. There’s clearly interest in him again, so we’ll work through that,” Rosa said on Monday.

“We have had discussions with other clubs (too). They’ve been respectful also. It’s very early in the trade period, so we’ll continue to have discussions.

“We know what a champion he is of our footy club and we know how highly we value him. “There are clubs interested. Not just the one club. We’ll continue to talk to Zach and all clubs.”

Merrett stepped down as Essendon skipper after last year’s failed talks but put his head down in 2026, playing all 23 games — including the last with a broken eye socket — on his way to winning a record-equalling seventh best and fairest.

He did not address his playing future when he accepted the award.

“To see my name on an honour roll, the same number of times as those guys, is a real ‘pinch-me’ moment,” Merrett said of joining Dick Reynolds and Bill Hutchison as a seven-time club champion.

Notably, Merrett was also won the player-voted McCracken Medal for a fourth straight season as the player who best embodied the club’s values on-field.

Hawthorn list boss Mark McKenzie was delighted to welcome Merrett to the club.

“A seven-time best and fairest winner and three-time All Australian, Zach has long been celebrated as one of the most elite midfielders in the AFL, and he will play a key role in our side for many years to come,” he said.

“We are very excited about what Zach brings to our club. His professionalism and competitiveness are second to none - he’s the sort of player that drives high standards and helps make others around him better,”

He will now leave Essendon to pick up the pieces of their worst ever two-win season without being able to lean on his experience — while hoping to lift Hawthorn to a premiership.

The Hawks won 15 games in the home-and-away season to finish third on the ladder but fell short of the grand final in heartbreaking fashion, overrun by eventual premiers Brisbane late in the preliminary final.

Hawthorn have also already secured a commitment from Gold Coast key forward Ben King while North Melbourne’s Josh Goater wants to join the club.

Earlier on Monday, Essendon announced Archie Perkins had re-signed on a one-year deal.

“It’s great for Archie to sign on for another year,” Rosa said.

“We think he’s got plenty of upside for us and is still capable of elevating and adding more layers to his game in future.

“His response in the second half of this year was really positive. Archie offers us a dynamic forward target at his size and has the potential to provide some experience and physical strength to our midfield mix.

“At 24, his best footy is still ahead of him and we’re excited to see what that looks like after a big pre-season.”