Mason Redman Biography

Zach Merrett says he had dinner with teammates Mason Redman and Nic Martin to clear the air before returning to the club.

Both senior Bombers had publicly expressed their disappointment and anger with interviews in the media at the contracted Merrett's request to move to Hawthorn last Trade Period.

The deal fell through in the dramatic final minutes of deadline day, and Merrett is contracted at the Bombers for the 2026 and 2027 seasons, returning to the club and giving up the captaincy.

"I wouldn't say [relationships] were strained. I think they, in a weird way, were really keen to keep me and wanted to play with me. So I wouldn't say there was strained relationships," Merrett said.

"I think, no doubt was a bit of awkwardness, just to start with, given that we went through those three months. But to Mason and Nic's credit, we had dinner before we went back to make sure that we're on the same page, and I could be clear with what I went through and what they went through so from day one we were all back on the same page and ready to get cracking in the preseason."

Essendon defender Mason Redman is "disappointed" his captain Zach Merrett is exploring a trade to Hawthorn, saying Merrett's meeting with Hawks coach Sam Mitchell has far-reaching impacts on the Bombers.

"It's [a feeling of] disappointment that our captain, who is supposed to be leading us through this, is exploring other options," Redman said.

"Whenever you go through tough periods of anything you have thoughts pop into your head about all sorts of scenarios. I certainly don't begrudge him for having those thoughts.

"But myself being a leader, or the captain of the football club in his scenario, you have to potentially think about things differently because it's not just you that this impacts, it's the whole club. It's 'Scotty' [Brad Scott] as the coach, it's us as players, and all the fans as well."

Mason Redman says the Bombers' positive direction under fresh leadership was a determining factor in his decision to re-sign with the club.

"The direction that the club's going in now is something that I really believe in," Redman said.

"Everything from the top down now feels like it's focused towards football ... and that filters down to the playing group. That translates on the field, so it's a really good environment and I'm sure it's only going to grow with those guys at the forefront."

Mason Redman turns his back on free agency and signs a new deal with the Bombers to remain at the club until the end of 2028.

"Our team has seen so much improvement this year, but we know we have a long way to go, and we are all committed to working hard to ensure we are all pushing each other to do whatever we can to achieve the ultimate success," Redman said.

"I couldn't be more impressed by the footy club this year and the environment we are trying to create. I'm optimistic success is just around the corner for this club – our members and supporters."

Mason Redman signs a new two-year deal with Essendon to remain at the club until the end of 2021.

The 22-year-old has played 19 of his 24 senior games in 2019, averaging 17 disposals.

"I love the place, and alongside my teammates I really believe we are building towards something special," Redman said.

"I'm enjoying continually learning and developing as a player, alongside the likes of Conor McKenna and Adam Saad down back, so I want to keep working on my craft and building up greater consistency over the next couple of years."

Mason Redman is starting to deliver on the promise he showed as an athletic defender, and wants to remain a Bomber.

"I obviously really want to stay at the club. They've invested four years into me and I haven't necessarily played too many games and this is where I want to stay," Redman said.

"I love the club, love the boys and I think we're really building towards something special at the club."

Mason Redman is set for a stint on the sidelines after fracturing his right ankle during a marking contest at training.

"He has an undisplaced fracture in his right ankle," Essendon's physical preparation manager Justin Crow said.

"We will be seeking specialist advice over the coming week to establish what our best management options are and what might be a likely prognosis."

Mason Redman could miss the rest of the season after suffering a syndesmosis joint injury in his ankle during the final term of Essendon's clash against the Eagles.

"What we're going to do is we’re going to operate on that tomorrow, put a band around it," Eagles high performance manager Justin Crow said.

"We'll be taking this step by step and listening closely to what the surgeon has to say after the operation."

First-year Bomber Mason Redman has extended his stay at the club, signing a two-year contract extension.

Redman, who has played three games in his debut season, was tied to the club until the end of next season on his standard initial two-year deal.

But his new contract will see him a Bomber until at least the end of 2019 after agreeing to the contract this week.

"We're really pleased that Mason has bought into our future and wants to be a part of an exciting period at the club," Essendon coach John Worsfold said.

"We are building a really strong team culture which demands elite standards.

"Mason has displayed great discipline and determination to live up to those elite standards and he's starting to see the rewards of his hard work."

Mason Redman makes his AFL debut for Essendon at Stadium Australia with 10 disposals (4 kicks and 6 handballs), 2 marks and 6 tackles in an 81-point loss to Sydney.

Essendon select Mason Redman with pick No.30 in the 2015 NAB AFL Draft.

"He comes with a lot of big wraps from Glenelg. He played senior SANFL footy, a country boy from South Australia," Bombers list manager Adrian Dodoro said.

"He's tough, marks the ball well above his head and he'll give us a lot of run on the outside of the contest."