AFL Player # 7: Indefatigable Zach Merrett (c) - 5 time Crichton Medallist! 🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅

[Beerfish]

Contract Status: Unrestricted Free Agent 2027
My Boy Draft 2024: Pick 10, I Remember Bluey

 

[Mr Mojo Risin]

jesus christ. how desperate are we to squeeze a few more ticket sales for anzac day? he’s no more likely to play than i am and i’ve already told truck i’m not playing.

I was asked to play but only if I bought a grand final upgrade.

 

[Hak94]

Correct me if I'm wrong but Merrett is without doubt one of the most professional players at the club. With that idea, my gut says that if he himself wasn't at all comfortable being selected or ready to play coming off an injury then I totally feel like he'd say no. He's one of the most durable players the club has ever had and I like to think that he'll come back stronger then ever whenever that may be. Most players are playing with some sort of niggle throughout the year but something like he did, considering we literally saw him in a moonboot a fortnight ago is a little more complex then normal. Here's to hoping he's actually 100% before coming back and not just feeling obligated to come back to get our season back on track because part of me also feels like that has a part to play in his selection.

 

[Halloween Jack]

Glad he is back (maybe) but the time to make a miracle rise from the dead was last week. This club can't get anything right

 

[fairbump_playon]

Glad he is back (maybe) but the time to make a miracle rise from the dead was last week. This club can't get anything right

Plenty of Anzac Day metaphors to work with for young Zach

As a VC who didn’t play last week I would love to know what he had to say about the midfield in the “hard review” mid week. He’s known for being hardline.

 

[ghostdog]

Plenty of Anzac Day metaphors to work with for young Zach

As a VC who didn’t play last week I would love to know what he had to say about the midfield in the “hard review” mid week. He’s known for being hardline.

He wouldn't have said "You get up there and shoot some Turks or else you're a disgrace.", and I'm comfortable with that.

 

[VelvetSledge]

I can’t believe I’m saying it, but…

He looks great. Like he hasn’t missed a beat. Training at 100%.

I am… so confused

 

[fairbump_playon]

I can’t believe I’m saying it, but…

He looks great. Like he hasn’t missed a beat. Training at 100%.

I am… so confused

Fake injury is the only answer.

 

[ant555]

I can’t believe I’m saying it, but…

He looks great. Like he hasn’t missed a beat. Training at 100%.

I am… so confused

Maybe the treatment / methods of treatment for it has improved in recent times.

 

[VelvetSledge]

Maybe the treatment / methods of treatment for it has improved in recent times.

We’ve moved a long way in a few years

 

[ant555]

We’ve moved a long way in a few years

I was talking more the medical field as a whole. We do outsource a lot of treatment now days for injuries like these.

 

[Mercurial89]

I was talking more the medical field as a whole. We do outsource a lot of treatment now days for injuries like these.

That's now 3 players back well within that 6 week timeline and if Zach is looking good than that is 3 who havnt really missed a beat.

Now it may be all were on the lower end but I'm really hoping it's just the treatment has improved.

 

[VelvetSledge]

He’s back.

Wow.

 

[Alberto_Magnifico]

He cant be human

 

[I Remember Bluey]

Zach had a pretty good game considering, the amount of time out with injury.

Will only get better with more game time.

 

[faible]

Zach had a pretty good game considering, the amount of time out with injury.

Will only get better with more game time.

I was surprised how good he was, got plenty of the ball, generally used it well, and seemed to move pretty well for a guy who wasn't meant to be back for another 2 - 3 weeks.

 

[Lore]

They did an article on his return based on this bit from Rutten's post-match press conference:

"Zach bounced really quickly out of that. We’ve had those operations in the past and they’ve been about six to seven weeks, but I think he was about four weeks today. We were pretty surprised with how he was starting to look about a week ago, starting to run, move and train," Rutten said post-game.

"With that injury, once they get the rope and tighten up that syndesmosis, there’s a couple of weeks where it’s really slow to let the wounds heal. After that, it’s about how it’s feeling and how quickly they can tolerate the build-up.

"He looked after it incredibly well in that two weeks. He was determined right from when he got it done. He was floating that he was going to be back today, but we didn’t think much of it. Once he puts his mind to something, he’s a pretty determined young man and he made it happen. It’s a credit to him and our medical guys to be able to support him to do that.

"To play the way he did, I think it speaks volumes to the player and person Zach is."

'Determined' Merrett shocks all in miracle return

Ben Rutten says Zach Merrett's miracle return speaks volumes about his determination.

www.essendonfc.com.au

 

[Schnitzengruben]

He was decent today but 9 kicks 27 handballs is just ridiculous. We're not even close to maximising the potential of Merrett. He is such a great kick with fantastic vision but we've got him handballing in circles.

 

[Lore]

He was decent today but 9 kicks 27 handballs is just ridiculous. We're not even close to maximising the potential of Merrett.

His kicking is definitely an asset – might be that coming back from the ankle issue has him a bit limited by foot at the moment?

 

[MarkJohnson#1]

He has come back incredibly well from injury. I’ve heard from a close source that the fitness staff didn’t think he was ready last week and wanted to get a few more weeks conditioning before he played but he said nope I’m playing and convinced the coaching staff to name him. Credit to him performing at this level when underdone and he can’t become captain soon enough to be honest.

 

[TheFrenchCut]

First on the ground for disposals. Most uncontested (only 7 out of 36 cont). 19th on the ground for metres gained.

He had some score involvements but it felt like a very cheap performance tbh.

 

[I Remember Bluey]

 

[I Remember Bluey]

Merrett on Afl 360

ICYMI | Merrett on AFL 360 (May 3)

Vice-captain Zach Merrett appears on AFL 360, courtesy of FOX.

www.essendonfc.com.au

 

[ant555]

Played like a true leader this week. Defensive work rate was excellent and he was keeping the young blokes up. Close to the best game he has played.

 

[I Remember Bluey]

Played like a true leader this week. Defensive work rate was excellent and he was keeping the young blokes up. Close to the best game he has played.

Now I wuv you twice

 

[Lore]

Apparently prep was more focused on us rather than them at the behest of the players/leaders which coaches were supporting of, less meeting focus with the 6 day breaks.