Bombers great left 'dumbfounded' by 'audacious' Zach Merrett contract turnaround

Essendon champion Matthew Lloyd admits he is "dumbfounded" by reports that Zach Merrett is open to a contract extension with the Bombers.

The report came only a few months after the ex-captain's desperate attempt to force his way out of the club in the trade period.

Merrett and manager Tom Petroro, who he has since parted ways with, did everything in their power to get to Hawthorn before the deadline, but Essendon refused to move him.

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Merrett provided his perspective on the report before representing Victoria in State of Origin on Saturday night.

"I wouldn't say considering, yet. I mean, there's some openness to listen, as there always is when you're on your back nine of your career, so to speak," Merrett said.

"You're always open with what that could look like, but nothing has progressed outside of a very preliminary chat.

"So excluding that, I think the things that have shifted … the fitness department's really beefed up, and the club's invested heavily resourcing that to make sure that players get the best opportunity to be fit and healthy and on the park for longer periods of time, so that we can hopefully have more talent come the weekend to string together some more wins.

"I mean, I'm still contracted for two years, so I still very much feel like they're in charge of my career moving forward."

Lloyd, a former Essendon captain himself, could not believe what he's hearing.

"They say he's training the house down, he's still the best trainer there is, many feel it's a good thing that he's not the captain and that Andrew McGrath has taken over," Lloyd told 3AW.

"I'm dumbfounded a little bit by that contract extension story.

"Whether he feels that maybe it's too late for him to find another club in his 30s, so he might as well take a longer team deal with Essendon before he gets too old.

"Hawthorn thought the deal was enough and Essendon thought they were getting walked all over and the deal didn't go through."

Lloyd admits he remains unsure whether the Dons made the right call in forcing Merrett to stay at the club.

"I'm very torn (on whether they did the right thing) because I saw (Melbourne president) Brad Green stand up at a best and fairest and say Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver will be in our starting centre square, and it was a disaster, and a year later they're both gone and you miss the chance to cash in max value," he said.

"I wonder, for a player that doesn't want to be there, you say see you later, take the kids - Essendon will say they would've been picks in the 20s, not quality up the top, but I wonder whether we'll look back and say 'we should've let him go'."

Veteran journalist Caroline Wilson was equally critical of Merrett potentially engaging in contract talks so soon after requesting a trade.

"I thought that was one of the more extraordinarily audacious requests, he pretty much blew up the joint trying to get out," Wilson added.

Merrett and the Dons will take on Hawthorn in round one in a clash that could certainly have some awkwardness.