ESSENDON has got on the attack, making a mammoth offer to young Hawthorn star Josh Weddle ahead of his contract year in 2026.
AFL.com.au can reveal the Bombers have put forward an offer of at least seven years for Weddle, which would take him through to 2033.
With a value of more than a million dollars a year, the deal is estimated to be nudging $10 million across its entirety, placing it as the biggest in Essendon’s history.
Weddle is signed at the Hawks until the end of 2026, which will be his fourth season at the club as he develops into one of the most exciting players in the competition, but he is set for a significant pay rise in his next deal.
Josh Weddle celebrates a goal during Hawthorn’s semi-final against Adelaide on September 12, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos
There has been no indication Weddle is considering a move but it highlights the regard the competition has for the 2022 first-round pick, who has played 60 games in his three seasons, and shows the rising value of young guns around the competition.
There are only four players currently in the AFL signed until 2033 or beyond – St Kilda’s signing Tom De Koning, Fremantle’s Hayden Young, Adelaide’s Josh Worrell and Melbourne’s Kysaiah Pickett.
Hawthorn has already ticked off three important deals for players who were set to come out of contract in 2026, with Jai Newcombe (2032), Nick Watson (2029) and Connor MacDonald (2029) all re-signing in recent months before their deals entered their final years, with Weddle the next priority commitment.
The huge offer is also an aggressive counterstrike from the Bombers only days after the trade period ended last week as Essendon held off Hawthorn’s pursuit of their captain Zach Merrett.
Tension in dealings between the arch rivals exploded in recent weeks, with Hawthorn football boss Rob McCartney saying his club was not prepared to do a “ridiculous” deal to land Merrett and Essendon chief executive Craig Vozzo saying the Bombers were “disappointed” by Hawthorn putting a deadline on its first offer for their skipper.
Essendon coach Brad Scott said last month the “gloves are off” after Hawks coach Sam Mitchell met with Bombers skipper Merrett, who had two years on his contract at Essendon but was keen to move to the Hawks to chase success.
The audacious play for Weddle comes as the Bombers look to be aggressive in their pursuit of rivals.
New president Andrew Welsh has played a significant role in the club’s football decisions in recent weeks, including the call to hold Merrett, and will also drive the club to be a more attractive proposition for rival guns.
Gettable revealed in September the Bombers were also preparing a mega offer to Brisbane’s star Zac Bailey, who is set to be one of the most in-demand free agents in 2026.
Clubs are aggressively targeting players in a more upfront manner in the modern trade landscape across the AFL.
Hawthorn has been at the forefront of that, having tabled an 11-year deal, worth as much as $17 million, for Harley Reid earlier this year with a year running on his deal at the Eagles before he re-signed at the club, whilst the club also spoke with Gold Coast’s Bailey Humphrey during the trade period as they also targeted Merrett.
