Dons insider gives updates on key players’ future

ESSENDON GM of football Josh Mahoney has given the latest on Zach Merrett and Jake Stringer’s contract situations.

Merrett comes out of contract at the end of the season and is attracting interest from multiple rival clubs.

“We’ve had some really good chats with Zach,” Mahoney told SEN Breakfast.

“As a club we’ve presented to him what our plans are moving forward, but really, the best feedback is that every day Zach comes in here, he’s having a real impact on our group.

“We feel really comfortable what with he’s doing at the moment and he’s got every right to do what he’s doing.

“I’m sure if Zach believes he’s getting better every day, that contract will take care of itself.

“Everyone appreciated the honesty from the article and that’s what you get from every conversation you have with Zach, he just tells you up front what he’s looking for, what he wants in a club, how he’s feeling.

“I think that’s all you want from my perspective.”

Stringer, who is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury, is also coming out of contract.

“He’s a quality player and he’s an important player for us,” Mahoney said.

“He had an interrupted 2020, he had a slow start to this year, but in the three or four games that he’s played you can see how much of an impact player he is.

“There’s no rush on getting him to sign a contract at the moment. He wants to stay at the club, we want Jake, so I think that’ll get done.”

Mahoney also provided an update on injured small forward Irving Mosquito who has taken indefinite leave from the club.

“He’s such an exciting player and he just loves playing footy,” he said.

“A long-term injury is hard in rehab and sometimes you can seem a long way away from getting back to playing.

“Irving has just struggled with that at different stages through the year, particularly when round one started and the boys were out there playing, it became a really tough time for him.

“We’ve given him some time off at different stages over the last few months. Probably about a month ago ‘Mozzy’ just asked that he needed an extended time away, so he’s back in Halls Creek at the moment.

“We’ll keep talking to him and then look at what the future is after that.”

– BY ALEX ZAIA/ SEN